Discursive networks and juvenile delinquent identity construction: A study from automated textual analysis

The objective of this study was to analyze the subjective construction of criminal identity in three gang-related adolescents in a preventive detention center in Valle del Cauca, Colombia. A qualitative methodology with a biographical study design was employed, which included in-depth interviews, body mapping, and automated textual analysis using IRaMuTeQ. The study was situated within the broader context of the gang phenomenon in Colombia, with a particular focus on Valle del Cauca, where adolescent criminality was notably prevalent and had been largely overlooked by state policies that prioritized other armed actors. This oversight contributed to the proliferation of these groups and their associated criminal activities. Through the analysis of discursive networks generated from life stories, it was discovered that the identity of adolescents linked to gangs was constructed around their membership in these groups, which gave them recognition and power within their social environment. The study identified significant patterns in this identity construction through family relationships, narrated experiences, and cultural practices that shaped the sense of belonging and self-affirmation within scenarios of exclusion.