Online Gang Recruitment's Tactics exploit youth’s vulnerabilities : A Systematic review

This thesis investigates how gangs utilize online platforms to recruit vulnerable youth by targeting psychological and social risk factors. With gang recruitment increasingly shifting from physical to digital spaces, understanding the mechanisms behind this transition is crucial for developing effective interventions. The study conducts a systematic review of eight peer-reviewed empirical articles published between 2010 and 2024, examining the intersection of online gang recruitment strategies and individual psychological vulnerabilities among adolescents and young adults. The review reveals that gangs use digital tools—including social media, messaging apps, and gaming platforms—to deploy highly adaptive recruitment tactics. These include the use of stylized visual content to attract sensation- seeking individuals, direct and personalized communication to groom emotionally distressed youth, and the creation of simulated communities that offer identity and belonging to socially excluded individuals. Psychological traits most frequently associated with susceptibility to these tactics include impulsivity, trauma exposure, low self-esteem, and social isolation. To interpret these findings, the thesis applies a range of theoretical frameworks. Criminological theories such as social control theory, general strain theory, and labeling theory contextualize the external pressures and systemic disadvantages faced by gang-involved youth. Meanwhile, psychological theories like social identity theory and models of impulsivity help explain why certain youths are more vulnerable to digital recruitment efforts. The results emphasize the strategic nature of online gang activity and highlight the need for interdisciplinary approaches that consider both behavioral traits and digital environments. Limitations include a lack of longitudinal data and geographic bias in the existing literature, particularly underrepresentation from low- and middle-income countries. The study concludes that effective prevention must integrate trauma-informed, psychologically grounded, and digitally literate frameworks to counteract the evolving landscape of youth gang recruitment.