Mothers and Gang Intervention: A Cross-National Account
摘要
This study is a cross-national account of the work mothers do in gang intervention. Based on qualitative studies from El Salvador, Honduras, the UK, and the US, this article reveals that mothers and those fulfilling mothering roles actively engage in multiple complex aspects of gang intervention, all while receiving no recognition or payment. There is a dearth of literature pertaining to what mothers do in and around gangs and within gang intervention. This article highlights the positive roles mothers play within gang intervention for their own children and the broader community. Using a feminist framework that builds on the literature of ‘motherwork,’ we demonstrate that mothers offer gang intervention by providing conflict resolution, interpersonal support, practical assistance, and advocacy, making them credible figures in gang intervention. Studies of gang intervention or broader criminal justice interventions rarely include the role mothers play; the current study offers a broad and unique methodology to help bridge this gap.