Parents can do a lot to prevent gang problems or to reduce gang problems already in place. Most important, there is a lot that parents like you can do to keep your own children from joining gangs:

    - Learn about gangs and signs of gang activity.
    - Sharpen your skills as a parent and use them.
    - Join with others to make or keep your neighborhood gang free.

     

Learn about gangs

 Young people (as young as nine or ten) join gangs for reasons that makes sense to them, if not to adults. They give reasons like these:

    - to belong to a group,
    - for excitement,
    - to get protection,
    - to earn money,
    - to be with friends.

Gangs leave signs of their presence. Your child may adopt some of these signs as become a member, or want to become: 

    - specific colors or emblems,
    - special hand signals,
    - gang symbols on walls as graffiti or on books or clothing,
    - major and negative behavior changes,
    - staying out without good reason,
    - "hanging" with known or suspected gang members,
    - carrying weapons,
    - wearing different types of clothing,
    - possessing unexplained, relatively large sums of money    .

Sharpen skills as a parent

- Talk with and listen to your child. Spend some special time with them,
- Put a high value on education and help your child to do his or her best in school. Do everything possible to prevent poor exam results,
- Help your kids identify positive role models,
- Do everything possible to involve your children in supervised, positive group activities,
- Praise them for doing well and encourage them to do their very best - to stretch their abilities and reach their potential,
- Know what your children are doing and whom they are with. Know about their friends and their friends’ families

HELP OUR YOUTHS 

We cannot expect a young person to show more awareness than what society offers. Society and the environments we live in, are our educators.

 
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