Gang Member Profile
v
Usually male.
v
School dropout
or truant; poor student who does not like school and who does not adapt well at
school
v
Does not receive
adequate family attention. The gang
provides identity and status. In some
cases a single parent or family member may approve or condone participation
especially if the gang member helps to support the family through narcotic
sales and profits derived from criminal activity.
v
Victim of
abuse/neglect and/or parental brutality.
v
Middle to lower
class background.
v
Negative role
models.
v
Very street
wise.
v
Activities
confined to close proximity to his residence or gang’s turf.
v
Anti-school,
aggressive and hostile.
v
Gang members
commit crimes against people who are unable to defend themselves. They work where they have the advantage i.e.
in the dark, from speeding cars and in packs.
Is Your Child at Risk?
No child can be totally safe
from gang influences. Gangs exist in all
ethnic groups, all parts of the country, and all income levels.
Risk factors include:
v
Living in an
area with a high level of gang activity.
v
Lack of a
positive support system at home.
v
Violence against
family members
v
Denial by the
family that the child is under a gang’s influence.
v
Exposure to TV
shows, movies, and/or music that glorifies violence.
v
Lack of
alternative activities, such as community youth programs.
v
Low self-esteem
and/or a sense of hopelessness about the future.
v
Difficulty
making decisions and communicating with others.
v
Too much
unsupervised free time.
v
A lack of
respect for authority (parents, teachers, law enforcement officers).
v
Experience using
alcohol or other drugs.
v
Growing up in a
single-parent family or with other family members who belong or belonged to
gangs.
Signs of Youth Gang Involvement
Early identification of
youthful gang-related behavior is critical.
Specific patterns of anti-social and counterproductive behavior can
signal a willingness to associate with known criminal street gangs. Concerned and responsible adults in the
community who care about the safety and future of young adults can impact youth
in a positive way by recognizing these negative gang behaviors and redirecting
individual youth toward a safer and wiser lifestyle choice. Some typical signs of gang involvement are as
follows:
v
Skip school or
miss work often
v
Significant drop
in school achievement
v
Significant
change in attitude
v
Shows a strong
disrespect for authority
v
Spend time with
undesirable people
v
Desire a lot of
privacy and time away from family
v
Refuse to take
part in family activities
v
Stay out later
than usual
v
Drink alcohol or
use other drugs
v
Show unusual
moods or patterns of behavior
v
Suddenly have
more money or other possessions
v
Displays
unexplained bruises, cuts, branding and tattoos
v
Marks personal
property with specific codes and symbols
v
Displays
unexplained wealth, jewelry and clothing
v
Speaks of
needing protection and carries a weapon
Facts About Gangs
v
Act
in ways that harm public health and public morals, and drive out businesses.
v
Reach
into nearly every city and town, and into every high school in the country
today
v
Make
people in their city, town, or neighborhood feel fearful and endangered.
v
Are
recruiting children at record rates
v
Have
drug trafficking as their main occupation
v
Come
from many ethnic groups and in many cases are networking across the country
v
Are
composed primarily of boys, but 10% of gang members are girls and the number is
growing.
Key Dangers of Gangs
v
In
order to join, new members go through initiation, which can range from fighting
other gang members to participating in thefts, gang rapes, drive-by shootings,
or even murders.
v
Gang
members use alcohol and drugs
v
Gangs
deal drugs and try to sell them on the street, even to young children. Worse yet, they trick children into trying
drugs to get them “hooked”.
v
Gang
members get badly hurt or killed during gang fights and criminal acts.
v
Families
of gang members often become targets of violence when gangs are feuding.
v
Gangs
rely on weapons, especially guns.
Anyone, not only gang members, can be injured in a gang related crime or
a fight between rival gangs.
v
Gangs
gain control over an area by using force and making people afraid. The area becomes their turf, where they sell
drugs and commit other crimes.
v
Where
there are gangs, the crime rate rises.
Crimes range from damaging public property and selling and using drugs
to committing murder.
v
Gangs
look down on the school system. Youths
in gangs do poorly in school or drop out entirely.
v
A
large number of persistent and dangerous juvenile gang offenders become even
more serious adult offenders.
Talk to Your Kids about Gangs
Believe it or not, most gang
members are 13 to 21 years of age, but they can be as young as 9. Teach your child about gangs while he or she
is still in elementary school. Talk with
your child about the dangers of gangs and the reasons people join them. Help your child learn that he or she has the
inner strength to make the right choice.
The Subject,
and What to Say (Parent to Child) Good Groups vs. Bad Groups
v
“Good
groups get together to do good or positive things.” (Examples: scouts, sports teams, art/craft
clubs, food drives, neighborhood cleanups.)
v
“Gangs
are bad groups because they break the law and do things that hurt people.”
v
“Avoid
gang members. Don’t hang out with gang
members or go to parties where they will be present.”
Gangs Break Laws
v
“People
in gangs may damage property, use drugs, steal, and carry weapons. Doing any of these things can get you
arrested.”
Dangerous Membership
v
“Some
gang members get hurt or killed in fights between gangs and in committing
criminal acts. Sometimes they hurt or
kill innocent people.”
Control Over
Freedom
v
“When
you join a gang, you loose all personal control. You can’t leave when you want.”
Members May Bully You
v
“Gangs
may scare you or try to hurt you to make you join. If this ever happens to you, say ‘NO’, leave
fast and tell me what happened.”
Helping Your Child Refuse Gangs
Help Your Child Develop Self Esteem
v
Support your
child’s goals and ideas, even if they differ from your own.
v
Encourage your
child to make independent choices.
v
Give your child
a chance to contribute to the family.
Assign chores or jobs that your child is old enough to do.
v
Focus on your
child’s good points. Praise positive
behavior.
v
Let your child
know you expect good efforts and hard work in everything.
v
Teach your child
that trying hard counts. Praise your
child’s efforts as well as achievements.
v
Set reasonable
limits and follow through on them. That
way, your child learns to handle limits.
v
Ask for your
child’s opinions and decisions on family matters.
v
Express your
feelings and encourage your child to do the same. Try not to judge or criticize your child’s
feelings.
v
Make it clear
that you love your child as he or she is.
Help Your Child “Say No” to Gangs
Be a Good Role Model
Don’t abuse alcohol or other
drugs. If you have a problem with drugs,
violence, or anything else that interferes with family life, get help. Honor your word and expect your child to do
the same.
Safeguard your child, know the “Three Ws”
Where your
child is,
What he or
she is doing,
Who he or
she is with.
I have a son/daughter in a gang. What do I do now?
v
Don’t blame
yourself. There are a lot of good
mothers who live in guilt because of their child’s gang involvement. Continue to love your child.
v
Focus on what
you can control. Your child has a free
will. You cannot completely control
them. Focus on what you can do. You can’t control their decisions totally,
but you can control the boundaries you set, how well you listen, what words you
speak.
v
Speak
positively. This is not to state that
correction is not positive. They need
discipline. They also need to know you
love them regardless of what they do.
Don’t make them earn your love.
v
Get involved
with them. They may reject this at
first, and that’s why unconditional love is so important. But try to spend time with them daily. Example: Share time and conversation during a
drive to work.
v
Set the right
boundaries. You can’t control everything
they do, but you can find out where they are going and who they are with.
v
Pray for them.
Dealing with Gang Membership
Try to talk calmly with your
child no matter how upset the possibility of gang membership makes you. Ask if he or she is in a gang, and why. Avoid being quick to judge. Recognize that gang membership is not just
the child’s problem, it’s the family’s problem as
well. Redefine the rules your child must
follow and enforce them. Seek outside
help if your child won’t talk, is difficult to communicate with, or if you
suspect he or she is lying.
If you need help removing
your child from a gang’s influence, here are people you can contact:
v
Local police
gang unit, criminal investigations or drug investigations
v
School counselor
v
School resource
officer
v
Social service
agencies
v
Health
professionals
v
Clergy
v
Counselors
*All
information in this handout adapted from the
(336) 841-4332
(336) 841-3696 fax
www.guilfordeducationalliance.org
info@guilfordeducationalliance.org