Gangs &
School Violence
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A good offense... The first defense in
protecting our kids against gang influence, is a good
offense. Just as we warn our kids against
the dangers of smoking, alcohol and drugs before
we discover evidence of such activity, we must take similar
precautions and
talk to our children about the dangers of gang
involvement. That is, making our children aware that gang
association of any kind is harmful and
will not be tolerated. They need to hear it from you and know where
you stand.
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Discuss the consequences of being in a gang.
We must teach them that
they should not associate with gang members, communicate with gangs,
hang out where gangs congregate, wear gang-related clothing
or attend events sponsored by gangs. We must try to make them
understand that the dangers here are real and "just saying no" may
save their lives.
What to
look out for
Parents should be alarmed
and take appropriate action if
a child exhibits one or
more of these warning signs. Although we should exercise
caution, we need to
determine the degree (if any)
of a child's involvement.
We can assume that a child has some level of involvement with a
gang if he/she:
-
admits that they
are involved in any manner with a gang
-
is obsessed with a particular
clothing color
-
prefers sagging pants
or gang clothing
-
wears jewelry with distinguishing designs
or wears it only on one side of
the body
-
requests a particular logo over
others such as British Knights
(BK) - known as
"Blood Killer" in some areas
-
adopts an unusual desire for privacy and secrecy
-
exhibits a
change in behavior and
conduct and withdraws from
the family
-
is frequently deceitful about their
activities
-
declining grades at school
-
truancy and/or being late for school
-
begins
keeping late hours
-
breaks parental rules repeatedly
-
is obsessed with gangster music or videos
-
associates with
the "wrong crowd"
(changes friends)
-
begins using
hand signs with friends
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has paint or permanent marker stains on his/her hands or
clothes. Or, is in possession of graffiti paraphernalia such as
markers, etching tools, spray paint, bug spray and starch cans.
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show evidence of
physical injures
and lies about how they were received
-
displays
unusual drawings or
text on school books
or displays graffiti in their bedrooms
and on items such as books and
posters
-
produces
unexplained cash,
clothing, jewelry,
music CDs, etc.
-
exhibits use of alcohol
or drugs
Be careful
 None of these warning signs alone is sufficient for predicting gang
involvement, aggression or tendencies toward violence. Also, it can
be detrimental to use these signs as a
checklist against which to measure
children.
Early warning signs are just that,
indicators that a child may need our help
and guidance. These are behavioral
and emotional signs that, when considered in context, can signal a
distraught child.
Early warning signs provide us with a means
to examine our concerns and address the child's needs. Early warning
signs allow us to get help for the child
before problems escalate.
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