Advancing gang research: The School of Criminology hosts the 23rd Annual Eurogang Workshop

Simon Fraser University’s School of Criminology recently hosted the 23rd annual Eurogang Workshop, bringing together leading international scholars, practitioners, and graduate students for two days of collaboration, discussion and learning.

Born in 1998, the annual Eurogang Workshop is part of the broader Eurogang Network’s effort to build a collaborative, multimethod research program. This year marked an important milestone for our School, as the event was held in Canada for the first time. The organization of the event was led by the School’s director, Martin Bouchard, and his team.

Focused on understanding how gangs form, evolve and intersect with gun violence, the workshop included sessions on pathways into gangs, recruitment dynamics, and adverse childhood experiences and identity as key drivers. Presentations also covered gang culture, the relationships between community dynamics and gang violence, the trajectories of individuals moving in and out of gangs, alongside discussions on victimization, desistance, and policy-oriented interventions such as credible messenger and violence interruption programs.

The event gathered more than 70 participants, including leading gang scholars David Pyrooz from the University of Colorado Boulder, James Densley from Metro State University, Caterina Roman from Temple University, and Chris Melde from Michigan State University. Long-time Eurogang contributor and internationally recognized gang scholar Cherry Manson was also present to participate in discussions and facilitate panels.

The workshop provided a unique and valuable forum for discussing opportunities for comparative research. Attendees shared research tools, data collection instruments, and approaches to working productively with practitioners and policymakers in the design and evaluation of gang interventions.

Bouchard highlighted the significance of hosting the event for the School of Criminology, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in the current school year. “It was a rare opportunity to hear from the best gang scholars in the world,” he said.

The School of Criminology extends its heartfelt thank you to the sponsors of the event, including the David and Cecilia Ting Foundation, Michigan State University, and the City of Burnaby, as well as to all the speakers who shared their knowledge, graduate students and volunteers who made this event possible.