ABSTRACT
Third generation gangs reside at the intersection between crime and war. They are a byproduct of the significant changes in societal organization that result from the confluence of globalization and technological advances that alter the nature of conflict and crime, favor small, agile groups, and fuel the privatization of violence.3 While street gangs are generally viewed as minor criminal nuisances with varying degrees of sophistication and reach, some gangs have evolved or morphed into potentially more dangerous entities. In many of the world’s cities, especially in the 'lawless zones’ of mega-slums where civil governance is weak and insecurity and instability dominate, organized armed groups in the guise of gangs, maras or pandillas reign. This essay recounts the evolution of third generation street gangs, typically described simply as third generation gangs (3 GEN Gangs), over the past decade and updates my prior research and writing about this phenomenon.
