Causas del reclutamiento de menores de edad de 12 a 17 años para grupos de delincuencia organizada en el primer semestre del año 2024, cantón Esmeraldas, provincia de Esmeralda

Abstract

Abstract: The research proposes to analyze the causes that influence the recruitment of adolescents aged 12 to 17 by organized crime groups in the Esmeraldas canton during the first semester of 2024. The project integrates institutional evidence on local criminal dynamics, along with a descriptive analysis of a consolidated dataset of minors isolated/apprehended during the study period. The objective is to articulate structural factors (poverty, inequality, precarious employment, weak services), family and community factors (domestic violence, school dropout, peer pressure), and symbolic and digital elements (promotion on social media), with the operational strategies of recruitment, control, and escalation described by institutional sources. Methodologically, a mixed approach is proposed: a quantitative descriptive component based on institutional records and a qualitative component to understand risk trajectories and recruitment mechanisms. The aim is to identify patterns of vulnerability and critical points of intervention in order to formulate public policy recommendations focused on prevention, comprehensive protection, and inter-institutional response, under a rights-based approach.