Since the Salvadoran Civil War that ended in 1992, many citizens have been forced to live with a relatively low level of personal safety. Information from the United Nations Human Development Data archives supports this trend, where El Salvador had homicide rates among the top five in the world for all years where the statistic was tracked between 2000 and 2012. These high levels of violence have persisted in recent years as gang-related crime has risen.

While the rest of the country has been suffering from these issues, Tasajera has enjoyed relative peace. Citizens cite the island's remote location and the tight-knit nature of the community as causes of this stark contrast.