Abstract

A vast literature suggests that fear of crime represents a socially significant dimension of violence in different research settings. However, fear of crime has been insufficiently studied in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. These countries comprise the Northern Triangle, a region significantly affected by the pervasiveness of criminal gangs, and very high levels of violence. In this study, we aim to identify vulnerable populations in the region by examining differences in fear of assault or robbery in the neighborhood by different levels of perceived gang activity in neighborhoods, sex, age, and ethno-racial characteristics using survey data. We find evidence of a direct association between fear of assault or robbery and the perception of gang activity in neighborhoods. We also find that women, people aged 30 and over, dark-skinned individuals, and individuals who self-identify as indigenous have greater risks of feeling unsafe in the Northern Triangle. These findings should be useful as evidence to problematize any potential designation of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras as safe destinations –an anti-immigration strategy promoted by the Trump administration– according to the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees antidiscrimination criteria.

摘要

大量文献表明，在不同的研究环境中，对犯罪的恐惧代表了暴力的一个具有社会意义的维度。然而，危地马拉、洪都拉斯和萨尔瓦多对犯罪恐惧的研究还不够。这些国家包括北三角地区，该地区受到犯罪团伙无处不在和暴力程度非常高的严重影响。在这项研究中，我们的目的是通过使用调查数据，根据社区中不同程度的帮派活动感知、性别、年龄和民族种族特征，检查对社区攻击或抢劫的恐惧差异，从而确定该地区的弱势群体。我们发现证据表明，对袭击或抢劫的恐惧与对社区帮派活动的看法之间存在直接关联。我们还发现 30 岁及以上的女性，深色皮肤的人和自认为是土著的人在北三角地区更有可能感到不安全。根据美国移民和国籍法以及联合国高级专员，这些调查结果应该可以作为证据来质疑任何可能将危地马拉、萨尔瓦多和洪都拉斯指定为安全目的地的问题——这是特朗普政府推行的反移民战略难民反歧视标准。