Intergenerational Experiences of Gang and Youth Violence in Bermuda

The first identified gang-related murder in Bermuda occurred in 2001, shortly followed by the first gang
murder with a firearm in 2003. The island has since struggled to come to terms with and respond to the
evolving gang and youth violence problem. Over a 20-year period, there were 71 murders and 294
confirmed firearm incidents. At its peak in 2011, Bermuda's murder rate skyrocketed to nearly twice the
global average at 12.5 per 100,000 people, up from 3.1 in 2003. Recently, there has been an increase in
youth violence across the community and in local schools. This study seeks to explore the challenges of
understanding and addressing gang and youth violence in small island communities. Given the lack of
specific research in this area and the developing problem of gang violence in Bermuda, the prospective
aims of this study would be to explore the scope and perceived nature of gang and youth violence
through two generations, explore how these perceptions fit into the structure and process of strategies
to address the issue and provide policy and social change recommendations regarding gang and youth
violence. The objective is to collect data across multiple domains, including the multigenerational
experiences of current and previous gang-involved people, to explore the nature of gangs and their
development in Bermuda. The data will then be analysed to consider the efficiency of current and
proposed strategies to address gang and youth violence and provide policy recommendations. The
questions guide the research: What is the nature and scope of youth and gang violence in Bermuda?
What are the intergenerational experiences and perceptions of gang and youth violence between two
generations? To what extent, if at all, are there differential generational effects? How effective are
current attempts to tackle gang and youth violence? Given that there was no gang violence before 2001
and how rapidly gang and youth violence has developed over time, it is worth examining the problem
through the lens of different generations' experiences to understand the phenomenon and explore how
the island has responded to the issue through various administrations and services. Understanding
these experiences could help to identify any gaps in services and provide a solid evidence base for policy
and strategic development.