Fighters or Victims The conditions of vulnerability for recruitment towards a violent lifestyle of street youth in Kenya

Abstract

This research examines what conditions make street youth in Kenya vulnerable to recruitment into a violent lifestyle. Street youth in Kenya are at risk of being recruited into violent organizations, such as al-Shabaab, Mungiki and street gangs. Existing recruitment theory did not sufficiently explain the researched phenomenon. This research used an analytical frame retrieved from studies regarding human trafficking. This research examines the following conditions: deprivation of human needs, violent environment, stigmatization, substance abuse, lack of family structure, and lack of future perspective and relates them to the vulnerability to recruitment into a violent lifestyle. Additionally, this research contributes to a more general framework for studying recruitment from vulnerable groups, such as street children