In a world where conflict is common, effective programs for reintegration of the combatants must exist for the post conflict societies. There is also a growing presence not only of gangs, but also of reintegration programs for those that chose to leave said gangs. To find what parts of those processes are alike and what parts are different is the objective of this thesis. For the former combatants, the thesis focuses on those of the former rebel group, meaning the illegally armed group. The reasons for comparing the two processes are that they outwardly look quite similar in the sense that the both deal with reintegration of formerly armed groups. Both groups have also been involved in some sort of violent action, and they are both being reintegrated into a society that they are not actively full members of. The research is carried out through a desk study using the method of a qualitative research through and abductive approach. The theoretical framework that is used is the inclusion-exclusion framework from the security-development nexus. This is also combined with the use of an analytical framework which was created using three different parts of full reintegration, namely social, political and economical reintegration. Through the usage of the case study of El Salvador, the thesis found that there were both similarities and differences between the two types of reintegration, however, the differences far outweighed the similarities. The thesis also found that while the two processes may be alike from an outside perspective, they are dealing with people of quite different needs. However, some potential can be seen for changes in both processes in order to improve their efficiency, though more research is needed.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur gängmedlemmar lyckats lämna sitt gäng. Denna kvalitativa studie undersöker fyra gängmedlemmars personliga resa ut ur sina respektive gäng, och hur de upplevde samhällsinsatser och ibland bristen på dem. Studien genomfördes med hjälp av semistrukturerade intervjuer som analyserades med en tematisk analys. Under litteratursökningens gång upptäcktes en märkbar kunskapslucka i tillgänglig forskning om hur människor lämnar kriminella gäng. Det finns dock studier gjorda om vägen in i ett gäng. Resultatet av intervjuerna har tolkats utifrån push- och pull-teorin och teorin om sociala band. Resultaten tyder på att majoriteten av de tillfrågade lämnade sina gäng på grund av rädsla för att bli skjutna, antingen för sig själv eller familjemedlemmar. En annan viktig anledning till att de tillfrågade lämnade sina gäng var för att de hade yttre motiv och möjligheter, såsom: en ny relation, att skaffa barn eller att flytta till en annan stad. Personer som har lämnat gängkriminalitet upplevde ofta samhällsinsatserna som otillräckliga och därmed bristande. Enligt deras upplevelse litade socialarbetaren inte helt på eller lyssnade på dem. Andra typer av insatser som respondenterna hade önskat var: familjebehandling i hemmet, mentorskap eller olika återinträdesinsatser för att bli bättre integrerade i samhället efter att ha lämnat ett gäng. Studien visade att det finns ett behov av ytterligare forskning gällande utfallet av olika insatser. Det behövs också ytterligare forskning kring socialarbetarens roll, vad de kan göra och vad de bör göra, för att underlätta vägen ut ur ett gäng. / The purpose of the study is to investigate how gang members succeeded in quitting their gang. This qualitative study examines the personal journey of four gang-members out of their respective gangs, and how they experienced the societal efforts and sometimes the lack of them. The study was carried out with the help of semi-structured interviews which were analyzed with a thematic analysis. Surprisingly, there was a noticeable gap in available research in how people leave criminal gangs. There are however studies done on the way into a gang. The result of the interviews have been interpreted based on the push- and pull-theory and the theory of social bonds. The results indicate that the majority of respondents left their gangs due to fear of getting shot, either themselves or family members. Another major reason why the respondents left their gangs is because they had other external motivations and opportunities, such as: a new relationship, having a child, or simply relocating to another city. However, the former gang members often experienced that societal interventions were lacking. In their experience the social worker didn't fully trust or listen to them. Examples of interventions that could have benefitted, according to the respondents, are: family treatment at home, mentorship, or re-entry interventions to get better integrated into society after leaving a gang. The study showed that there's a need for further research regarding the potential outcome of each type of intervention. There is also a need for further research regarding the role of social workers, what they can do, and what they should do, in order to facilitate the way out of a gang.

En raison de leurs activités criminelles, l’identification de bonnes pratiques pour intervenir auprès des jeunes membres de gangs de rue est essentielle pour assurer la protection du public. Les recherches actuelles ne permettent toutefois pas d’identifier de programmes d’intervention efficaces pour cette clientèle (Boxer et al., 2015; Boxer et Goldstein, 2012; Parker et al., 2008 et Sécurité publique Canada, 2007). Le but de la présente étude est l’analyse logique de la théorie du programme d’intervention offert aux jeunes impliqués dans les gangs de rue et hébergés en centre de réadaptation en vertu d’une ordonnance de mise sous garde et de surveillance, à la suite d’une infraction de la Loi sur le système de justice pénale des adolescents (LSJPA). Le programme évalué, nommé ReZo, a pour objectif de susciter la réflexion des jeunes sur leur position dans les gangs de rue pour ultimement réduire leur risque de récidive. L’analyse logique cible deux aspects de la théorie du programme : la sélection des participants et du contenu des ateliers. Les résultats suggèrent que le processus de sélection des participants pourrait être bonifié (objectif 1) en ajustant les domaines de l’Inventaire des risques et des besoins liés aux facteurs criminogènes (IRBC) utilisés et en y incluant la Mesure d’adhésion à la culture de gang de rue (MACg). L’analyse du guide structuré et du modèle logique de ReZo suggère que le programme respecte la majorité des pratiques prometteuses citée dans la littérature quant au contenu des ateliers (objectif 2). Des modifications telles que le choix de thèmes, l’implication de l’entourage et de la famille et l’ajout de mesures d’évaluation sont recommandées. / to their criminal activities, the identification of effective practices for intervening with youth gang members is essential to ensure the protection of the public. However, current studies do not identify effective intervention programs for this clientele ((Boxer et al., 2015; Boxer et Goldstein, 2012; Parker et al., 2008 and Sécurité publique Canada, 2007). The purpose of this study is to analyze the logical reasoning of an intervention program offered to youth involved in street gangs and housed in rehabilitation centres under custody and supervision order, following an offence under the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA). The objective of the evaluated program, called ReZo, is to encourage youth to reflect on their position in street gangs in order to ultimately reduce their risk of recidivism. The theory-based evaluation has two objectives: the logic analysis of the selection of participants and the content of the workshops. The results suggest that the participant selection process could be improved (objective 1) by adjusting the areas of the Inventaire des risques et des besoins liés aux facteurs criminogènes (IRBC) used and by including the Mesure d'adhésion à la culture de gang de rue (MACg). Analysis of ReZo’s structured guide and logic model validated that it meets most of the criteria for good practice in the literature with respect to workshop content (objective 2). Adjustments such as the choice of themes, the involvement of family and friends and the addition of evaluation measures are recommended.