Peer-reviewed article
Risk and Refuge: Adolescent Boys’ Experiences of Violence in “Post-Conflict” Colombia
Amanda Browne, Cyril Bennouna, Khudejha Asghar, Catalina Correa, Arturo Harker-Roa et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study explores how adolescent boys aged 13-17 in Colombia experience violence at home and in their communities during the post-conflict period. Through interviews with 14 boys in two regions, the research identified patterns including conflict avoidance, masculine norms that may shape responses to violence, and some positive coping strategies. The study highlights how gender norms influence boys' experiences and responses to violence in settings affected by recent conflict.
Key points
- The study examined 14 adolescent boys from Cundinamarca and Córdoba regions in Colombia
- Themes identified include conflict avoidance, hegemonic masculinity, and positive coping habits
- The research connects public cycles of violence (community/conflict-related) with private cycles (home/family violence)
- Gender norms and masculinity are underexamined factors in violence studies involving adolescent boys
- Further research is needed on how coping behaviors in adolescence relate to perpetuating violence into adulthood
Limitations
This is a small qualitative study with 14 boys from two specific regions, so findings may not represent experiences across all of Colombia or other post-conflict settings. The study describes patterns and themes but does not evaluate or test any intervention to reduce violence.
Abstract
Increasingly, researchers and practitioners are examining connections between public and private cycles of violence. In complex emergency settings, these cycles of violence often intersect with conflicting norms and values as societies work toward sustainable peace. Gender norms, particularly norms of masculinity, are not often highlighted in transdisciplinary violence studies. Furthermore, few studies on either subject capture the perspectives and experiences of adolescent boys. This study seeks to explore adolescent boys’ (13-17 years) experiences with violence at home and in the community in “post-conflict” Colombia. Thematic qualitative analysis of 20 interview transcripts from 14 Colombian boys in Cundinamarca ( n = 5) and Córdoba ( n = 9) revealed themes of conflict avoidance, hegemonic masculinity, and opportunities for change in the form of positive coping habits. Further research into social and emotional coping behaviors and linkages to perpetuating violence between adolescence and adulthood is needed.