Youth Violence and Gang Recruitment in Panama

The fear arising from the perception of insecurity among citizens, therefore, restricts the progress of the community. After examining the young population, aged 18 to 24, who manifest a combination of lack of opportunities, recruitment by gangs, and social vulnerability, the question arises: who is most likely to suffer violence in Panama? This reality allows us to observe and demonstrate that the people who experience the most violence are often connected to criminal structures. In Panama, the concern is linked to the high rate, the recent increase in young people between 18 and 24 years old (most are young people in that age bracket) and that from 2016 to the present, more than 100 young people have died, on average per year, with these being the most affected. The death of young people in the violent cycle perpetuates insecurity and weakens the social fabric. It is obvious that many young people are recruited by criminal groups because they have ties to criminal gangs. Or did the principle of opportunity lead them to commit that crime? Gangs attract young people because of their youth, energy, and need for money. Living in communities with high crime levels creates a violent environment, making violence commonplace and increasing the likelihood of being a victim or perpetrator. Or are these mischiefs of good, bad, and horrible in the minds of young people? Let's work together for peace and peaceful coexistence! In another order, the critical areas are those with the most violent deaths: Colón, Panama, San Miguelito, and West Panama. Young people are more vulnerable because they are exposed to society. Where were the parents of these children? Regarding concepts, public security policies have replaced criminological policies. I conclude with this reflection on the concern observed on social media and in videos during the celebration of Panama's qualification for the World Cup: in the activities that occurred after the celebration, a group of young people were robbing people of their cell phones. The probability of being attracted to illegal activities increases when educational and job opportunities are scarce. Another aspect to consider is the existence of more illegal weapons and access to them, which causes conflicts to end in homicides. Violence has a direct impact on society through the generations that are active and productive in the country. In other words, what has the government stopped doing to find a solution that enables peaceful coexistence with tolerable levels of delinquency and insecurity, assuming that it is naive to think that it is possible to completely eradicate the criminal phenomenon? Or were they taken to do that? (Photo: La Prensa). By Luis Carlos Samudio G. Lawyer, teacher, and mediator. The data that the Academic and Social Criminological Observatory has obtained through the study of statistical documents from the Public Ministry regarding the homicide rate among young people aged 18 to 24 who die for various reasons are alarming. I think of those young people who drop out of school and I wonder what options MEDUCA offers to help them return to the classroom. Consequently, the following question must not be missing: what has gone wrong? In summary, being recruited by gangs. Young people march for peace. What has not been successful is the formulation of a criminological policy as a governmental concept in development, developed jointly with other comprehensive policies.