Protecting Our Kids From Gangs

This headline grabbed my heart: “U.S. gang membership may be higher than reported." The U.S. Department of Justice estimates more than 700,000 gang members nationwide.

Gangs are everywhere, according to the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit Court in Illinois.  Since 911, there are over 31,000 gangs in the USA. They are thriving in all fifty states and gaining turf even in sleepy suburbia.

Apparently, you’re never too young or too old to join a gang.  Youths join gangs as young as six and remain in the gangs even up to sixty years of age.  Female gangs make up 5-10% of the total gang population.

How much of a problem is this to adults?  In a 2005 survey of California adults, 75% said that their main concern was the ‘well being of children’ and their attraction to gangs. This worry far outranked their concerns about health care, the economy or even terrorism.

Burrel Lee Wilks III, former Chicago Street gang chief, now serving as a life coach posts the dangers of gangs:

"Gangs are seductive and deadly. They promise money, power and instant gratification. They create the illusion of family but in reality offer only dead-ends and hopelessness."

Don’t jump the gun and assume your kid’s already joined a gang. However, there are telltale signs you ought to be on the lookout for:

•Has he started to dress differently, maybe cocking his hat to one side, or rolling up the cuff of a pant’s leg?  As he gets more and more involved in the gang culture, he may wear gang colors:  excessive amounts of clothing with two color combinations, such as blue and black, or gold and black.

•Does he want a tattoo or his ear pierced?  This may be a fashion statement, but this is a huge part of the gang world as well.

•Is he using street ‘handles’ or nicknames instead of full names? All gangs have their own code words and their own unique language.

•Is he obsessed with gangster-influenced music, videos and movies, wanting to imitate what he sees?

•Do you find your child is keeping you in the dark?  You don’t know where he is after school or who his friends are.

•Does your child suddenly have large amounts of unexplained cash or suddenly show up with new, expensive possessions?

•Do you see gang graffiti written on his books, clothing and even inside the brim of a baseball cap?

If you suspect your child or grandchild is in a gang or you just want to make sure he never joins a gang, here’s some helpful advice:

•Communicate, communicate, communicate.  Don’t fall into the trap thinking you cannot monitor your child due to his age 

•Positive reinforcement. You need to tell your child you love him and believe in him.  If he ever gets lost in his life, he’ll remember your words and always know there’s a way back home. 

•Practice a zero tolerance for gang language, clothing or gangster-looking friends in your home.  Inform him of the dangers of the gang life:  getting hurt or killed or arrested or sent to prison.   

•Plan to keep your kids away from gangs. Keep him involved in activities outside the home.  Children that have a lot of unstructured time are prime candidates for gang recruitment.

The best advice is to turn up the awareness of your child’s life a few notches.   Keep an eye on what he’s wearing, how he’s talking, who he is associating with and whether you see a general change in his attitude.

John   
Email: johnsblog@teshmedia.com

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