Transnational interaction of the Central American civil society before the youth violence

Youth violence is one of the most important social problems in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. The expansion of youth gangs has been confronted by the governments of these nations through the adoption of repressive measures. Massive police operations and anti-gang legislation have been the main tools used to try to stop the rise in youth violence, while preventive measures have been sidelined. However, after four years of implementation of these plans, the results are scarce in terms of a decrease in crime levels in these societies. All this has led to the politicization and transnationalization of organizations that deal with the issue of youth violence. Along with this, the fact that these policies have been developed at the same time in the three countries has helped to strengthen ties between these organizations. ABSTRACT: Youth violence is one of the most important social problems in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. The expansion of the youth gangs has been confronted by the governments of these nations through the adoption of repressive measures. Massive police operations and anti-gang legislation have been the main tools used in the three countries to try to stop the rise of youth violence, while preventive measures has been left aside. However, after four years of implementation of these plans, the results are scarce in terms of a decrease in the levels of crime in these societies. All this facts have provoked the politization and transnationalization of the organizations that are dealing with the issue of the youth violence.