Gang Strategies in the Northern Triangle: Coerced Criminality as a Form of Human Trafficking argues for a more robust understanding of the issues, dynamics, and contextual factors of human trafficking. Relying on the definition as established by the Palermo Protocol more than two decades ago, this book takes a hard look at the strategies and results of gang recruitment in the Northern Triangle countries as a particular and understudied form of human traffickinggang trafficking. It offers a lens through which to evaluate the actions of gangs, specifically MS13 and Barrio 18, as they use methods of coercion to force the compliance of youths as de facto gang slaves. By elaborating on this dynamic, and on the risks associated with anti-gang policies and harsh law enforcement practices,Gang Strategies in the Northern Triangle unravels the underlying victimization, exploitation, and criminalization of youths in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. The book maintains that the crimes of gang violence and the crimes of human trafficking intertwine and intersect to perpetuate an environment of trauma, exploitation, and hopelessness that leaves thousands with no options, as refugees, conscripted into gangs, incarcerated for crimes they were forced to commit, or dead.
Adam Golob is instructor in political science, interdisciplinary studies, and ethnic/regional studies at Whatcom Community College and Hillsborough Community College.
Chapter 1The Traditional Human Trafficking Model
Chapter 2Gang Power
Chapter 3A Non-Traditional Model of Human Trafficking vis-à-vis Gang Recruitment
Chapter 4Non-Traditional Victimization
Chapter 5Northern Triangle Case Studies
Chapter 6Beyond the State
