Description
The presence of childhood in International Relations (IR) has historically occupied a marginalized space, particularly in the International Security field. The Childhood Studies in IR seek to demonstrate that children are actors who are not only influenced by international structures but also contribute to their construction. According to the UN, organized crime currently accounts for more deaths than armed conflicts and terrorism combined, with the Americas experiencing the highest rates of homicides related to the criminal activity, predominantly affecting individuals aged 13-29 who are both its main victims and perpetrators. Through the lens of Childhood Studies in IR, combined with Critical Security and Critical Peace Studies, using a qualitative approach, this study seeks to comparatively analyze the involvement of children as members of organized crime in three locations: Brazilian criminal factions, El Salvadoran pandillas, and urban gangs in the United States. Therefore, it aims to redirect academic discourse beyond "traditional" cases of children in armed conflicts, toward investigating the diverse and complex relationships of childhoods with both violence and peace, examining the specificities of each case. Furthermore, this research also enhances the ongoing need to de-silence childhoods immersed in spaces of violence perpetuation that remain overlooked within IR literature.
