Is your child at risk to participate in gangs? It is a far more likely scenario today than it was just a few years ago. Researchers suggest that teens join gangs for many different reasons: seeking excitement; looking for prestige, wanting protection, seeing it as a chance to make money, or finding a sense of belonging.
Law enforcement officials who watch gangs carefully advise that there are some early warning signs that a child may be leaning to or have early involvement in a gang. But they also stress that parents have to watch carefully and be observant of real and noticeable changes in their child's behavior. Some of these early warning signs include:
- Experimenting with drugs.
- Dropping school grades, particularly if it is rather sudden
- Cutting classes regularly or just not going to school at all
- Avoiding family gatherings or share regular meals
- Changing friends, especially if the new friends don't hang around at your home
- Rebelling at school and home
- Poor family bonding
- Violating family curfew standards
- Having large sums of money or new expensive items of which you were unaware
If, after observing some or all of these changes in behavior and you suspect gang involvement, there are some important steps to take.
Talk to the child or teenager and discuss the consequences of being in a gang. Gang activity is a downward spiral and has major legal and long-term consequences. A criminal record can affect a youth's choices down the road for jobs, education and more. And gang involvement can put all members of a gang member's family at significant personal risk for violence and being victims of crime.
Talk to school officials and counselors. Many local school districts offer gang intervention programs and counseling. Identifying local educational resources can be an important step.
Contact your local law enforcement agency or juvenile authority. Many police and sheriff's departments and county or district attorneys have programs for youth involved in gangs.
Look for community youth programs. Groups like the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Boys and Girls Clubs and after-school programs, as well as athletic and sports programs, can often help youth find ways to avoid feelings of isolation upon which gangs prey.
Talk with your religious leaders. Churches will generally have youth programs that can provide a more positive bonding experience with other youth.
Take immediate action on graffiti. If you find graffiti on your property or in your neighborhood, report it right away to police authorities. Take photos and then clean it up as soon as possible. Removing graffiti as soon as it happens is a real key to minimizing the impacts of gang activity; remaining graffiti is a recruiting tool for gangs.
Most importantly, do not ignore the warning signs. The risks of gang involvement for you, your family and your neighborhood are just too great. Get help and then take action.
