Gang involvement can begin as early as elementary school. Children as young as seven or eight years of age have been recruited to work in criminal street gangs. Many parents and educators are unaware when children are involved in gang activity. The most common mistake parents and adults make is denial. 

This site will hopefully give the parent, educator, community members information about gangs, including, how to tell if your child is becoming involved in gang activity and how to help keep your child away from gangs. The Youth Service Detail is committed to helping keep children from becoming involved with gangs.

Definition of a Gang:

A gang is an ongoing loosely organized association of three or more persons, whether formal or informal, which has a common name, signs, symbols or colors, whose members engage, either individually or collectively in violence or other forms of illegal behavior.

Who Joins:
In the past it was believed those who joined gangs came from troubled homes. Many were abused. Today, in some cases the above may still be true, but some youth join gangs for many other reasons. They may not come from broken, troubled homes. Youth may join gangs because of fear, curiosity, boredom, excitement, peer pressure, lack of education or family history of gang involvement.

Young people of all socio-economic levels and ethnic backgrounds are members of gangs. In a gang they may find support, attention, and the common ground they might not have with their families. They are young people looking for "respect", protection and adventure, and they are willing to risk all by joining a gang in the mistaken belief that a gang will provide these things for them.

Warning Signs:
The following warning signs are for your use as a guideline only. Exercise caution in assuming that your child is involved in gang activity if one or more of the signs are present. Communication with your child is crucial in determining the level if any, of the child's involvement with gang activity. This communication may include taking with school personnel and BPD Youth Service Personnel.

• Change in hairstyle and/or dress
• - New friends with the same hairstyle/dress such as bandannas, caps, belts, especially if the major color is blue or red.
• - Secretive behavior about friends and activities
• - Use and recognition of hand signs by youth and friends
• - New interest in graffiti symbols and displaying symbols in bedroom
• - Change in routine when with friends giving no explanation
• - Change in places frequented
• - Suspected drug use indicated by such things as mood changes and smell of inhalants on breath
• - Increase of possessions such as clothes, hats, money
• - Change in attitude about school and hobbies
• - New discipline problems
• - A new fear of the police
• - A new found sense of bravery
• - Is obsessed with gangster-influenced music, videos and movies to the point of imitation
• - Physical injury (such as being beaten) and then lies about the events surrounding the injury
• - Admits to gang involvement
• - Hangs out with others who belong to a gang
• - Cryptic letters and/or numbers written or tattooed particularly references to the roman numerals XIV or XIII or Arabic Style numbers 14 or 13.
• - Decline in school grades
• - Truancy
• - Keeping late hours

Prevention:
Prevention is the key to controlling gang activity. Become aware of the gangs and gang members in your area. Ask your child about gangs. Most will openly talk with you about what they know. A gang's power grows through the use of fear and intimidation. They can be countered by citizen action groups such as Neighborhood Watch Programs. A neighborhood that is united and dedicated in a spirit of cooperation toward stopping crime and violence will greatly hamper gang efforts to flourish.

If you suspect gang activity you should:

• Talk to your child or teenager and discuss the consequences of being in a gang
• Talk to school officials and counselors inquiring if they are aware of campus problems and if there are any school programs that might help
• Contact your local law enforcement agency for information and guidance
• Seek advice from religious leaders. They many know of programs that help neighborhood children stay out of gangs
• Report and immediately remove any graffiti in your neighborhood or local school grounds
• Take action - this is the most important step you can take as an individual, a group or an organization. Do not ignore the signs of gang activity.

Recognize that some youth are attracted to the glorified lifestyle of gangs as portrayed on TV and in music. Most youth will not ever entertain the thought of joining a gang, but some youth will pretend to act like a gang member. Some of these kids may be targeted by real gangs and recruited to join them or  targeted as an actual gang member by another gang and be attacked as a result.  Don't wait until he or she is actually recruited and "jumped in" to a gang. "Jumping in" to a gang is the initiation one goes through to join the gang. These vary but can involve being beaten by actual members to shooting someone.

Other web sites about gangs:

The Coroner's Report

Crime & Violence Prevention Center