El sentido de pertenencia a las bandas criminales y su relación con el Ideal del Yo en adolescentes.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to analyze adolescents’ sense of belonging to criminal gangs and the relationship between this sense of belonging and the Ego Ideal from a psychoanalytic perspective. The study employed a qualitative approach with a descriptive-exploratory scope and an interpretive orientation. In addition, the study utilized a literature review and content analysis of the film Ciudad de Dios (2002). This study addressed the sense of belonging among adolescents by considering various concepts, such as the conceptualization, structure, and organization of criminal gangs; the role of the leader; the feeling of belonging; and the function of groups during this stage. Likewise, the study analyzed the formation of the Ideal Self and the processes of identification that can be established with figures portrayed as significant during this stage. The analysis revealed that belonging to a criminal gang is not limited solely to participation in criminal activities but can also serve as a space for recognition, protection, bonding, and subjective positioning. Similarly, it was found that the figure of the leader can assume an organizational role within the group while also becoming a role model who is likely to be idealized by adolescents. In this regard, the leader can link the sense of belonging to the ego ideal by embodying attributes and positions that gang members seek to attain through processes of identification.