Gangs in African, Asian, and Australian Settings

This chapter presents an overview of emerging research on gangs in Africa, Asia, and Australia. Gangs in these three continents are vastly understudied, and in each continent the gangs take on quite distinctive forms that differ from those seen in much of the research arising from the West. The chapter focuses on gangs which are described in a manner that is consistent with the Eurogang definition of youth gangs. Many African countries have been plagued by poverty, famine, civil war, and disease, and these major social and political changes have a dramatic effect on Africa's youth, which are estimated to make up two thirds of the population. The chapter discusses the types and characteristics of the gangs in each country, and provides a brief overview of extant research into risk and protective factors for youth gang membership.