• What is a gang
• How do gangs recruit their members
• Why do youths join gangs
• Do Females Join Gangs
• Use Graffiti
• What to do abou tgang graffiti
• Deal with gangs
• Pregang behavior
• Parents to do
• Parent anti-gang strategies
• Community gang statigies

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What is a gang?

A gang is a group of people who want to be seen as different from others and want others to perceive them as a distinct group. This group is organized, has leadership, and is committing criminal and/or delinquent acts in the community.
Gangs establish their reputation by the types and severity of the crimes they commit. The more heinous the crime the more "juice" or reputation the gang gets. In the seedy street gang world, the more "juice" you have the more respect you get!
The State of Florida has a legal definition of a Criminal Street Gang and what it takes to be classified as a Criminal Street Gang Member. To view these definitions, please click on the following link, Florida Statute 874.03.

Current gang members will often use peer pressure or fear and intimidation tactics to get others to join their gang. Kids are often confronted by gang members in their neighborhoods, in school or on the internet and are asked to join the gang.
A Chicago public school survey showed that 41% of students were contacted and asked to join gangs. Young people are told the "Big Lies" about all the good things that happen when they join. They are told they will earn a lot of money, make friends, go to parties, and belong to a close "family" that will care for and 'love' them.

• Prestige or power
• Friendship or brotherhood
• Protection/security from gang violence
• Making a lot of money fast
• Feeling of belonging and being cared about
• Media glorification of the gang lifestyle

Current trends show that female gang membership is sky rocketing here in Florida and all across the Nation. Females are valued by the majority of gangs and are often placed in support roles like carrying the weapons and drugs.

Remember the four (4) R's...Read It, Record It, Report It and Remove It!!!
If gang graffiti is left unchecked can become very dangerous. Remember, graffiti can indicate an outright threat against a rival gang or against a specific person. The graffiti must first be read and interpreted for danger signals. Second, the graffiti should be well documented and photographed. Then, a police report should be made for tracking purposes. Finally, the graffiti should be quickly removed to reduce the likelihood of continued violence.

• Poor progress or achievement in school
• Truancy from school
• Lack of hobbies or too much leisure time
• Frequent contact with authority figures or police
• Draws gang insignias/symbols/signs
• Problems at home
• Lives in neighborhood where gangs already exist
• Friends are gang members or "dressing down" or "sagging and bagging" in gang attire
• Begins dressing in traditional gang clothes

These items are characteristic of gang involvement. However, some people who join or associate with gangs do not dress in the traditional attire and do not exhibit conspicuous behavior to show their gang involvement. Parents must be aware of the behavior and activities of their children. Continual monitoring of behavior and positive verbal communication between parents and young people is a must for gang membership prevention.

• Know about who and what influences your kids
• Know what your children are doing at all times
• Become involved with your children and spend time with them
• Strive for good communication between you and your children
• Do not allow them to wear gang attire
• Do not allow your children to 'hang out' in the streets or mall
• Be very suspicious of gang writing, graffiti, or tattoos
• Encourage anti-gang attitudes at home
• Learn about gangs and drugs
• Participate in your child's education-find out what's happening at school
• Get involved in your community and school affairs
• Set the example for your kids, they will do what you do
• Believe in your children

• More recreational and leisure-time activities for youngsters
• A crack-down and tougher law enforcement against gang activities in the community
• Stepped-up efforts to combat the chief source of a gang's income (DRUG SALES)
• Increased parental supervision of children, their activities, and their friends
• Collaborative efforts between police, community residents, and children

• Build methods of disseminating advice/information on dealing with gangs to children and parents
• Enact ordinances, both school board, city, and state, that make it a felony for gangs to recruit in school or intimidate youngsters to join a gang
• Support initiatives that provide for a rich assortment of extracurricular programs for kids and the incentives for them to participate in them
• Organize/support workshops on street gangs to be taught to parents, grandparents, and guardians of school-age children
• Provide public seminars on "street gangs" throughout the year
• Run media series on street gangs, stripping them of their mystique and exposing them for what they are
• Encourage service clubs and church groups to sponsor a battery of community speak-outs during the year on street gangs, with the help of the police departments, courts, youth services agencies, correctional institutions, and schools
• Organize an army of citizens to patrol through their community and erase gang graffiti whenever it appears