U.S. Department of State’s INL Grant for Trinidad and Tobago Youth Development and Gang Diversion

Criminal gang activities drive violent crime and homicides in TT. This undermines public safety, negatively impacting livelihood, consumer confidence, foreign investment, and the ability of every citizen to enjoy peaceful and friendly communities. Lack of sustainable economic opportunities creates a climate for recruiting vulnerable youth into criminal gangs, leading to a decrease in the productive capacity of the young adult population between the ages of 18-35, especially males.

Youth between the ages of 10 and 18 are more susceptible to societal and cultural ‘push’ factors, and ‘pull’ factors within the gang itself. Familial factors such as parental drug and alcohol abuse, violence at home, and parental criminality or gang membership are amongst the strongest predictors or delinquency and gang involvement. Community ‘push’ factors linked to joining gangs include social disorganization, availability of firearms, access to drugs and cultural norms supporting gang behavior. Youth may be pushed towards gang culture to resist structural violence they experience in their own community. In addition, the presence of pre-existing gangs correlates strongly with furth

Criminal gang activities drive violent crime and homicides in TT. This undermines public safety, negatively impacting livelihood, consumer confidence, foreign investment, and the ability of every citizen to enjoy peaceful and friendly communities. Lack of sustainable economic opportunities creates a climate for recruiting vulnerable youth into criminal gangs, leading to a decrease in the productive capacity of the young adult population between the ages of 18-35, especially males.

Youth between the ages of 10 and 18 are more susceptible to societal and cultural ‘push’ factors, and ‘pull’ factors within the gang itself. Familial factors such as parental drug and alcohol abuse, violence at home, and parental criminality or gang membership are amongst the strongest predictors or delinquency and gang involvement. Community ‘push’ factors linked to joining gangs include social disorganization, availability of firearms, access to drugs and cultural norms supporting gang behavior. Youth may be pushed towards gang culture to resist structural violence they experience in their own community. In addition, the presence of pre-existing gangs correlates strongly with furth

Criminal gang activities drive violent crime and homicides in TT. This undermines public safety, negatively impacting livelihood, consumer confidence, foreign investment, and the ability of every citizen to enjoy peaceful and friendly communities. Lack of sustainable economic opportunities creates a climate for recruiting vulnerable youth into criminal gangs, leading to a decrease in the productive capacity of the young adult population between the ages of 18-35, especially males.

Youth between the ages of 10 and 18 are more susceptible to societal and cultural ‘push’ factors, and ‘pull’ factors within the gang itself. Familial factors such as parental drug and alcohol abuse, violence at home, and parental criminality or gang membership are amongst the strongest predictors or delinquency and gang involvement. Community ‘push’ factors linked to joining gangs include social disorganization, availability of firearms, access to drugs and cultural norms supporting gang behavior. Youth may be pushed towards gang culture to resist structural violence they experience in their own community. In addition, the presence of pre-existing gangs correlates strongly with furth

Criminal gang activities drive violent crime and homicides in TT. This undermines public safety, negatively impacting livelihood, consumer confidence, foreign investment, and the ability of every citizen to enjoy peaceful and friendly communities. Lack of sustainable economic opportunities creates a climate for recruiting vulnerable youth into criminal gangs, leading to a decrease in the productive capacity of the young adult population between the ages of 18-35, especially males.

Youth between the ages of 10 and 18 are more susceptible to societal and cultural ‘push’ factors, and ‘pull’ factors within the gang itself. Familial factors such as parental drug and alcohol abuse, violence at home, and parental criminality or gang membership are amongst the strongest predictors or delinquency and gang involvement. Community ‘push’ factors linked to joining gangs include social disorganization, availability of firearms, access to drugs and cultural norms supporting gang behavior. Youth may be pushed towards gang culture to resist structural violence they experience in their own community. In addition, the presence of pre-existing gangs correlates strongly with furth

Criminal gang activities drive violent crime and homicides in TT. This undermines public safety, negatively impacting livelihood, consumer confidence, foreign investment, and the ability of every citizen to enjoy peaceful and friendly communities. Lack of sustainable economic opportunities creates a climate for recruiting vulnerable youth into criminal gangs, leading to a decrease in the productive capacity of the young adult population between the ages of 18-35, especially males.

Youth between the ages of 10 and 18 are more susceptible to societal and cultural ‘push’ factors, and ‘pull’ factors within the gang itself. Familial factors such as parental drug and alcohol abuse, violence at home, and parental criminality or gang membership are amongst the strongest predictors or delinquency and gang involvement. Community ‘push’ factors linked to joining gangs include social disorganization, availability of firearms, access to drugs and cultural norms supporting gang behavior. Youth may be pushed towards gang culture to resist structural violence they experience in their own community. In addition, the presence of pre-existing gangs correlates strongly with furth