UNDERSTANDING GOES A LONG WAY
IN HELPING OUR CHILDREN OVERCOME THE PRESSURES
AND CHALLENGES OF LIFE
GANG AWARENESS
What is a Gang?
A street gang is a group of people who form an allegiance for a common purpose and who engage, either individually or collectively, in violent, unlawful, or criminal activity. Gangs are predominately territory oriented. Each gang has its own "turf" and graffiti marks its boundaries. Anyone not belonging in the area and resembling a rival gang affiliate may become the subject of attack. A street gang is any group of individuals who unite for the purpose of engaging in criminal activity. Once considered an inner-city problem limited to low-income families, gangs are now found in suburban and rural communities. No race, gender, age, geographical, or socioeconomic groups are excluded. The common misconception that gang members are poor kids from severely dysfunctional families has been exposed as a myth by today’s gang members from affluent two-parent homes. All gangs share one common characteristic: they use intimidation, force, and fear to control our neighborhoods and communities
Gang Names, Nicknames and Tags
Many gangs adopt names that have significance to their neighborhood or geographic area. Many gang affiliates adopt nicknames or "tags" when recruited into the group. The gang selects a name or tag that fits the individual's personality or appearance.
Why Do Young People Join?
Some reasons include a sense of belonging, they are hurting from abusive relationships and situations, they are looking for security, identity, love, and acceptance. Many join for the excitement of gang activity, some due to peer pressure, attention, financial benefit, family tradition (generational curse), and a lack of realization of the hazards involved. In many cases, young people are not actively discouraged from gang involvement by their parents. Often, parents don't realize that their children are engaged in gang activity.
What Do Gangs Do?
Gang members seek confrontations with rival gang members. The resulting violence often claims innocent victims. Gangs create damage on a regular basis to local property and businesses. Vandalism, a form of graffiti, and destruction of public and private property, is often done to further the gang's reputation. Large walled areas and abandoned houses are a favorite target for vandalism, but even occupied homes do not escape destruction. The majority of residents in a gang area who are unable to move away live in fear. Gang activity is increasingly connected with the violent crimes of murder, sexual assault, and drive-by shootings. However, gang activity can include a spectrum of crimes from simple vandalism and graffiti to burglary, thefts, armed robbery, and drug dealing.
Identifying Gang Members
Most gang members are proud of their gang and freely admit their membership. Many display tattoos and dress in a style identifying their particular gang. Their personal belongings are frequently covered with graffiti and bear the gang's logo and the affiliate's gang name. Many gang members make gestures with their hands and fingers which identify their gang.
Graffiti - Turf Markings
Graffiti is a problem that impacts our neighborhoods in a variety of ways. It decreases property values in residential neighborhoods and negatively affects industrial and commercial areas. Of great concern is the inherent violence associated with gang graffiti. Gangs use graffiti to mark their "turf" or territory. They also use it to advertise the gang's status or power and to declare allegiance. When a neighborhood is marked with graffiti, indicating territorial dominance, the entire area and its inhabitants become targets for violence. Anyone on the street or in a home is fair game for drive-by attacks by rival gangs. A rival gang identifies everyone in the neighborhood as a potential threat. Consequently, innocent residents are often subjected to gang violence by the mere presence of graffiti in their neighborhood.
Warning signs of gang involvement
Young people who become involved in gangs will often attempt to hide it from their parents. Graffiti (drawing gang names and symbols) is the most common sign of gang activity. Law enforcement agencies recommend that you check your child’s room, furniture, school books, papers and notebooks for gang names, logos and nicknames. Check their clothing, inside waist bands, necklines, cuffs, and sleeves. Check inside shoes: shoe tongue, sole, and sides. If your child has gang information written in these places, then he/she is associating with gangs. Look for and deal with the warning signs.
Other warning signs:
• Withdrawal from family and normal activities
• Refuses to follow family or "house rules," such as chore assignments and curfew times; staying out late at night; secretive activities
• Sudden changes in personality and behavior
• Exhibits negative changes in school or work habits; increase in discipline problems, school absenteeism or police contact.
• Selecting or wearing the same color and style of clothes every day
• Change of friends; New friends that you don’t approve of
• Refers to friends by unusual nicknames; gang members adopt "street names"
• Draws graffiti on books, notebooks, clothing or on body.
• Unexplained body markings, injuries or tattoos
• Unexplained gifts of jewelry, money or expensive items or possession of weapons
• Use of body gestures and hand signs to communicate with friends
• Exhibits increasing anti-social feelings: hostility, anger or contempt, especially against a particular group or segment of the community
• Exhibits signs of substance abuse: alcohol, drugs, etc.
One or more of these signs may indicate gang activity or could indicate a warning sign of other problems. Check with your youngster's school teachers and ask to review school work and attendance. When your kids see that you are involved, they are less likely to get into serious trouble.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES PARENTS:
• Teach your kids wisdom's ways of living.
• Live wisdom's ways befor your children (Be a positive role model for them).
• Know your youngster's friends and become involved in his or her activities.
• Know where your youngster spends his or her time after school, during evenings, and on weekends. Check with parents of their friends about their activities.
• Become involved at school; talk with teachers and counselors.
• Become familiar with current gang symbols in the area.
• Increase your communication with your youngster, and watch for the "gang affiliation indicators."
• Build self-esteem in your youngster. Provide opportunities for involvement and reinforcement.
• Be a positive role model.
• Spend Time With Your Kids!!!
• Surround your kids with positive, caring, people/mentors!
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES TEACHERS:
• Watch for the "gang affiliation indicators."
• Notify school authorities of at-risk children.
• Contact police when graffiti is discovered. Police will make a report and take photographs. Then remove graffiti immediately.
• Keep informed about gang behavior in the community and support the holding of gang seminars by the District.
• Communicate with police officers who regularly patrol the area of your school and exchange information with them.
• Provide information to school officials on gang members' activities.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES COMMUNITY MEMBERS:
• Become informed on the facts about gang activities in your neighborhood.
• Report evidence of gang activity to police immediately. Your name will not be made public if you request anonymity.
• Support police efforts to reduce gang activity.
• Clean all graffiti immediately, within 48 hours.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW TO GUARANTEE YOURS AND YOUR CHILDREN'S SUCCESS, ENROLL YOUR CHILDREN AND YOUTH, AND BECOME PROGRAM PARTICIPANT IN OUR PARENT WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS.
"You can guarantee your child's success!"
Don't be afraid; Be informed; Be equipped!
