FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
What are youth gangs?
What is gang graffiti?
Why do young people join gangs?
What is gang banging?
What are the ages of gang members?
Are there any female gang members?
What are some risk factors that may relate to gang involvement?
How does someone become involved with a gang?
How do gangs recruit children?
How can I tell if someone is involved in a gang?
Isn't the way our children dress just a fad?
I've heard about hand signs, what are they?
Do gangs have any structure?
What are the dangers of being in a gang?
Is gang violence always directed at other gangs?
What do gangs do to get money?
How do we know we have a gang problem?
How bad is the problem?
What are some of the indications there could be a gang presence in my community?
Is all graffiti gang related?
Isn't this a police problem?
How can I combat Gangs in my Community?
Why should we be concerned?
What can parents do?
What are youth gangs?
A youth gang is a group of people who get together on a regular basis to carry out violent, illegal, or anti-social activities, including intimidation, assualt, vandalism, buglary and murder.
Gang members come from all races and social classes. They can be male or female, starting as young as 7-years-old.
Each gang has a name, a shared form of identification, such as clothing, hand signs, alphabets and other graffiti, and a particular turf or territory.
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What is gang graffiti?
Spray painting graffiti or "tagging" is one of the main ways that gangs communicate. Graffiti is the gang's newspaper, a way to spread information about meetings, drug dealing and turf locations. Graffiti and other gang-related vandalism destroy neighborhoods and cause damage that is a financial burden to everyone. Graffiti also disrespects other gangs, provoking violent fights that threaten innocent people.For more information about Gang Graffiti, and to see examples of actual Gang Graffiti, please visit our About Gangs/Graffiti area.
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Why do young people join gangs?
Gangs give young people an identity, a sense of power, and a feeling that they belong to a family. Many young people are pressured into joining a gang, especially when they have a skill the gang needs.
Many young people are unaware of the dangers involved with gangs. They may not know how much their future can be affected by missing school, abusing drugs and having a criminal record. Many young people are never discouraged from joining a gang. Once they're a member, they feel unable to leave. Young people involved with gangs need parents, caregivers and other concerned adults to recognize this and help them find a safe way out.
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What is gang banging?
Gang banging is when members go out for the express purpose of creating mischief, anything from graffiti to other more serious criminal acts such as attacking other gangs with weapons.
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What are the ages of gang members?
The typical age range is 14-26; however gang members have been seen as young as 8 years of age and as old as 40 or 50. The older members may have gained status as an OG'S (original gangsters).
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Are there any female gang members?
Traditionally females played a submissive role in most gangs. They held the weapons or stash for the gang, provided someone to hang out with and were a source of information for the gang. However, within the last ten to fifteen years’ females have begun gang banging. There are gangs that have female leaders and some that are strictly female.
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What are some risk factors that may relate to gang involvement?
1. Living in an area with a high level of gang activity.
2. Lack of a positive support system at home.
3. Violence against family members.
4. Denial by the family that the child is under a gang's influence.
5. Exposure to TV shows, movies and or music that glorify violence.
6. Lack of alternative activities, such as community youth programs.
7. Low self-esteem and or sense of hopelessness about the future.
8. Difficulty making decisions and communicating with others.
9. Too much unsupervised free time.
10. Lack of respect for authority (parents, teachers, law enforcement officers)
11. Experience using alcohol or other drugs.
12. Growing up in a single parent family or with other family members who belong or belonged to gangs.
13. Moving from one place (home) to another several times in a short period of time.
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How does someone become involved with a gang?
Most gangs court their new recruits. They let someone hang out with them; learn their language, hand signs, style of dress, etc. The new recruit sees the money, power and lifestyle of the gang and is usually impressed. He or she becomes accustomed to the life and one day is told it's time you show your loyalty to the gang. This could mean committing a crime or being "jumped in".
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How do gangs recruit children?
Street gangs use a variety of techniques to recruit children into the gang. Some of these techniques relate to the risk factors mentioned above. The list below is a short list of reasons our children join gangs.
Identity, Attention and Status
Gangs may offer kids a powerful group identity and kind of recognition they cannot get at home or elsewhere. They develop a newfound sense of self worth and status.
Protection
If there are many gangs in an area, joining one of them may offer protection from rival gangs.
Feeling of Belonging
Gang activity may offer a feeling of being part of a "family" that is missing in the child's home. The child becomes loyal to the gang's values, rather than those of the home. He finally has a place where he's accepted.
Intimidation
Threats and violent beatings may be used to force youths to join.
Excitement
Gang activity may seem attractive to kids who are bored, lack interests and directions, or do not feel good about themselves. The media has glamorized gangs in music, movies, and video games. This adds to the excitement associated with them.
Peer Pressure
Kids are pressured to join gangs if others around them are gang members themselves.
Financial Benefit
Kids see being in a gang as an easy way to gain money and new possessions.
Lack of Knowledge
Kids, especially young ones, do not realize the true dangers of being in a gang.
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How can I tell if someone is involved in a gang?
There is usually a marked change in behavior. The child may become confrontational and verbally abusive, and show disrespect for parental authority and other authority figures. You may notice a change in attendance and attitude about school, church, or other previously considered normal activities. You may notice graffiti symbols on or around your residence, especially in a child's room on walls, furniture, clothing, notebooks or other personal belongings. Tattoos and brandings may also be an indicator, especially those of stars, pitchforks, unexplained symbols or letters. Baseball caps worn to the right or left or one pant leg rolled up. Jewelry, including, earrings, or necklaces with nicknames, stars, pitchforks or unexplained initials or symbols. Clothing always with a particular color or team identification. New friends that the parents are not permitted to meet. Phone threats received at home from rival gangs (or unknown callers) directed against your child. Physical signs of being in a fight, such as bruises and cuts and secrecy on the child's part as to how they were received. . Negative continued contacts with the police. Photographs of your child and others displaying gang hand signs, weapons, cash, drugs or gang-type clothing. And of course if you notice firearms, ammunition or other weapons in the possession of or in the child's room, there is cause for concern.
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Isn't the way our children dress just a fad?
It may be, however gangs identify with the way someone is dressed. For example, the Latin Kings can be seen wearing black and gold, Crips blue and Bloods red. We still find some of the New York gangs exposing their colors, but in recent years they have become much more subtle. The Latin Kings sometimes only wear black and gold shoelaces. At times, the other gangs only carry a colored rag attached to their belt or hanging out of a pocket.
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I've heard about hand signs, what are they?
Hand signs are a way that members show their gang affiliation. Creating letters and or numbers with their fingers make the most common signs. There are known hand signs that tell other members of danger, even to attack an individual. There have been cases where the showing of a hand sign has started violence, even cases where deaf mutes using American Sign Language were mistakenly thought to be throwing gang signs and were shot.
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Do gangs have any structure?
There are a few types of structure depending on the gang, ranging from simple to elaborate. The most common is as follows: Leaders - usually the oldest or the toughest of the group with an extensive background in crime, they direct the activities and recruitment of members. Hard-core members or gang bangers - usually the most violent members and enforcers for the gang, they intimidate the younger members and show them what is required to show loyalty to the gang. Wanna-bees or fringe members - usually the youngest and newest members of the gang, they may be involved only on a temporary or limited basis. DO NOT make a mistake these wanna-bees are just as dangerous as other members, maybe more because they still have to prove themselves to the gang.
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What are the dangers of being in a gang?
Aside from the obvious problems with the police and spending time in court and jail; gangs often, if not always, expose their members to guns, drugs and violence. Members can be seriously hurt or killed during gang fights or while committing criminal acts.
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Is gang violence always directed at other gangs?
Unfortunately that is not the case; we have documented cases where violence against an innocent party is a part of an initiation ritual. However, even when the violence is directed at another gang we often experience innocent bystanders getting hurt.
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What do gangs do to get money?
Very few gang members hold legitimate jobs. Most are involved in some sort of criminal activity. The crime of choice would be dealing drugs. Some gangs specialize in stealing cars or airbags, and some gangs do robberies.
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How do we know we have a gang problem?
Very few gang members hold legitimate jobs. Most are involved in some sort of criminal activity. The crime of choice would be dealing drugs. Some gangs specialize in stealing cars or airbags, and some gangs do robberies.
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How bad is the problem?
Most experts agree the problem is growing (see the national threat assessment). Gangs are now networking across the U.S. instead of confining themselves to a single community as in the past. Every police department and most other agencies have someone who is involved in gang prevention or control.
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What are some of the indications there could be a gang presence in my community?
Presence of graffiti in or around your community
Crossed out graffiti in your community; this is an indication that there are rival gangs in your neighborhood
Youth in the area wearing colors, jewelry and clothing, flashing hand signals or displaying other behavior that may be gang related
Availability of drugs in your community
Significant increases in the number of physical confrontations or stare downs in your area
An increasing presence of weapons in your community
Drive by shootings within or nearby your community
There has been a history of gangs in your community
An increasing presence of "Social Groups" using names like Born to Kill, etc.
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Is all graffiti gang related?
As you know graffiti has been around since the cavemen. It was and is a means of communication, a way of telling a story. That is how the gangs use it. They mark their territory by scrawling their gang's name on walls or anything that is blank, issue challenges by crossing out other names and writing their own, call for meetings even put out death warrants. These markings range from simple to elaborate. Check out our graffiti page to see what gang graffiti looks like.
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Isn't this a police problem?
When a crime is committed it becomes a police matter. We must think of gangs as a disease. The police are the medication to this disease a bandaid if you will; however we need a vaccination, a means to stop the spread of this disease before it spreads and takes more children’s lives. We must develop a method where every facet of the community, law enforcement, the clergy, our elected officials and our teachers, social workers and everyone else who comes in contact with our children are working together with one goal in mind the safety and well being of our youth.
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How can I combat Gangs in my Community?
Insist on meeting their friends and their friends’ parents
Know where your child is going, with whom, how he's traveling, and when to expect him home and sometimes CHECK IT OUT
Set rules and enforce them. The same teens who resist their parents' wishes will conform to a gang's wishes-because a gang will tolerate nothing less
Ask school personnel to make you aware of any gang-type behavior
Encourage legitimate out of school interests to make youth feel he is part of a group
Get your child involved in community projects (they need to feel as part as the community)
Report Gang Activity
Contact school or police officials about dangerous and or illegal things you see.
These may include:
Graffiti
Houses with many people going in and out at all hours of the day and night
Groups of youth using alcohol and drugs.
Drug dealing.
Groups of teenagers hanging around school grounds
Groups of youth carrying weapons.
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Why should we be concerned?
Gangs are no longer just an urban problem. Because gang activity is spreading to surburban and rural areas across the country, everyone is at risk. Gangs often move around in order to recruit new members and increase their turf. Although gangs primarily victimize each other, anyone can be the victim of a gang-related carjacking or drive-by shooting.
Gang members contribute to the growing drug epidemic by using and selling illegal drugs, such as alcohol and cocaine.
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What can parents do?
Listening and asking questions are the most important things a parent can do to keep their children out of gangs. Ask your children what they know about local gangs, and listen to their concerns. Let them offer suggestions for avoiding gangs and resisting pressure to join.
Be a positive role model. Encourage participation in healthy activities that will build self-esteem. Establish firm rules and follow through when those rules are broken. Stress the importance of a good education, and help your children set reasonable goals. Praise your children when they succeed and offer support, not criticism, when they fail..
Meet with teachers to discuss your children's progress or problems. Teachers can give good insight to changes in your children's behavior and choice of friends. Join a parent support group and share information on gang and drug abuse prevention. Invite local businesses, community agencies, students and local law enforcement to meet with schools and parents.
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