Post on 19-Jan-2016
Crime Prevention Part IICrime Prevention Part IIIdentifying and addressing a Identifying and addressing a
GANG PROBLEM GANG PROBLEM
©TCLEOSE Course #2102 Crime Prevention Curriculum Part II is the intellectual property of CSCS-ICJS (2009)
Institute for Criminal Justice StudiesInstitute for Criminal Justice Studies
ObjectivesObjectives• Look at a definition of a gang
• Look at prevention and intervention strategies
• Learn several indicators and risk factors of gangs in your community
• Explore tips of what can be done by parents, schools, and neighbors to
prevent gang activity
What is a Gang?What is a Gang?There is no nationally accepted
definition, but most agree on the following elements:
A group of three or more people
These people share a common identifying sign, symbol, or name
What is a Gang?What is a Gang? Gang members individually or collectively engage in an ongoing pattern of criminal or delinquent activity
They are often between 12 and 24
Texas Law – Street GangTexas Law – Street Gang
Penal Code 71.01 (Definitions)
(d) "Criminal street gang" means three or more persons having a common identifying sign or symbol or an identifiable leadership who continuously or regularly associate in the commission of criminal activities.
Crime and Gang InvolvementCrime and Gang InvolvementSerious and Chronic Offenders
Gang LeadersIllegal Gun and Drug Suppliers
Other Active Gang Members and Associates
Children and Adolescents atHigh Risk for Gang Involvement
General Population of Youth and FamiliesLiving in High Risk Areas
Share of Illegal
Activity
Relative Share of Population
Other Active Gang Members & Associates
Children & Adolescents atHigh Risk for Gang Involvement
General Population of Youth & Families
Living in High Risk Areas
Types of GangsTypes of GangsTraditional gangsTraditional gangs
Business/profit gangsBusiness/profit gangs
White hate gangsWhite hate gangs
Copy-cat gangsCopy-cat gangs
Delinquent social gangsDelinquent social gangs
Conditions that Enable Gangs To Conditions that Enable Gangs To GrowGrow
Socializing agents are ineffective – “misfits”
Abundance of free and unstructured time
Limited exposure and access to good jobs and careers
Conditions that Enable Gangs To Conditions that Enable Gangs To GrowGrow
A place to congregate, a well-A place to congregate, a well-defined neighborhooddefined neighborhood
Are our children at risk of joining Are our children at risk of joining a gang?a gang?
Do we have a GANG problem?Do we have a GANG problem?
Indicators of Possible Gang Indicators of Possible Gang InvolvementInvolvement
Purchasing or desire to buy or wear clothing of all one wear clothing of all one color or stylecolor or style
Changing appearance with special haircuts, eyebrow markings, or tattoostattoos
Using hand signs
Indicators of Possible Gang Indicators of Possible Gang Involvement (cont.)Involvement (cont.)Gang graffiti on folders, desks, walls, and buildings
Developing a bad attitude towards family, school, and authorities
Staying out later than usual
Carrying weapons
Indicators of Possible Gang Indicators of Possible Gang Involvement (cont.)Involvement (cont.)
Withdrawing from family activities
Changing friends; spending time with undesirable people
Having more money or possessions
Hand signs are used to Hand signs are used to show allegiance to a show allegiance to a
specific gang.specific gang.
GANG – hand signsGANG – hand signs
Some gangs also use symbols to identity their gang. This gang is called “Mara Salvatrucha,” clique-Centrales
“Mi Vida Loca”-
My Crazy Life
Tear Drop
Is All Graffiti Gang Graffiti?Is All Graffiti Gang Graffiti?
No, some graffiti is tagger graffiti.
What is Tagger Graffiti?What is Tagger Graffiti?
It is usually more artistic.
What Can We Learn From What Can We Learn From Graffiti?Graffiti?
Gangs may use graffiti to claim Gangs may use graffiti to claim a particular area as their turf.a particular area as their turf.
Graffiti may show what gangs are fighting, arguing, or “beefing.”
Graffiti may present the gang roll call.
Why Individuals Join GangsWhy Individuals Join Gangs
Fun and excitement
Identity and sense of belonging
Peer pressure
Financial gain/drugs
Why Individuals Join GangsWhy Individuals Join Gangs
Protection
A family tradition
A failure to understand what being in a gang means
Who Joins Gangs?Who Joins Gangs?
Recruits generally range in age from 12 to 24 years
Most members are boys, but 10 percent of all gang members are girls
Who Joins Gangs?Who Joins Gangs?All ethnic groups and income levels are represented, and gangs are found in all parts of the country
Certain risk factors increase the likelihood of gang involvement
Associated Risk FactorsAssociated Risk FactorsLiving in an area with a high
level of gang activity, drug/alcohol use, available firearmsLack of a positive support
system at homeViolence against family membersExposure to TV shows, movies,
and/or music that glorifies violence
Associated Risk Factors (cont.)Associated Risk Factors (cont.)Lack of alternative activities, such as community youth programs
Lack of positive role modelspositive role models
Low self-esteemLow self-esteem and/or a sense of hopelessness about the future
Poor decision-makingPoor decision-making and communication skillscommunication skills
Too much unsupervised free unsupervised free timetime
Associated Risk Factors (cont.)Associated Risk Factors (cont.)Poor school achievementProblematic child-parent relationship
Lack of respect for Lack of respect for authorityauthority (parents, teachers, law enforcement officers)Family members who are or were gang members
Responding to a Gang ProblemResponding to a Gang Problem
Prevention Primary
SecondaryInterventionIntervention
SuppressionSuppression
ReentryReentry
TIPSTIPS
What Parents What Parents Can DoCan Do
NOT THE ANSWER!NOT THE ANSWER!
What Parents Can Do?What Parents Can Do?Be a positive role model.
Do everything possible to involve your children in supervised, positive group activities.
PraisePraise your children for doing well and encourage them to do their very best.
Get to knowknow your children’s friends and their parents.
What Parents Can Do (cont.)What Parents Can Do (cont.)
Set limitsSet limits for your children, and enforce them.
Do not allow your children to dress in gang-style dress in gang-style clothingclothing, to practice gang hand signs, or to write gang graffiti on any surface, including their bodies.
What Parents Can Do (cont.)What Parents Can Do (cont.)Know where your children are at all times, and schedule activities to occupy their free time.
Get involved in your children’s education, and encourage them to stay in school. Be active in the PTA.
Teach your children to set positive goals, to hold high standards, and to prepare for a positive future.
What Parents Can Do (cont.)What Parents Can Do (cont.)
Explain to your children that only a very small percentage of youth join gangs.Help your children to understand the natural consequences of being involved in a gang.The more connected a child is with family, school, community, and positive activities, the less likely he or she will be attracted to gangs.
What Parents Can Do (cont.)What Parents Can Do (cont.)
The more connected a child is with;
Family
School
Community
Other positive activities, the less likely he or she will be attracted to gangs.
WHAT CAN SCHOOLS DO?WHAT CAN SCHOOLS DO?
RECOMMENDATIONSRECOMMENDATIONS
What Schools Can DoWhat Schools Can DoIdentify at-risk students and students who are already gang members.
Encourage them to participate inSportsDrama & ArtMusicJROTC, & other positive activities
Increase their confidence & Increase their confidence & sense of belongingsense of belonging
What Schools Can DoWhat Schools Can DoDon’t allow anyone to:Don’t allow anyone to:–wear gang clothing–Paraphernalia or other items
(Jewelry) associated with gang activity at school;
–don’t permit gang hand signals.
What Schools Can DoWhat Schools Can DoPhotograph and remove all Photograph and remove all graffiti from the school graffiti from the school grounds and property.grounds and property.
Promote afterschool Promote afterschool programs that address the programs that address the prevention of violence.prevention of violence.
What Neighbors Can Do?What Neighbors Can Do?
Get to know your neighbors and their children.
Communicate.
Maintain a standard for your neighborhood’s appearance that tells gangs that they are not welcome.
What Neighbors Can DoWhat Neighbors Can DoWork with your local law enforcement agency to develop a community strategy against gangs.
Getting Out of a GangGetting Out of a Gang
Speak to a counselorcounselor, police officerofficer, clergyclergy, or other professionals about ways youth can create create distance between distance between themselves and the gangthemselves and the gang.
RelocateRelocate.
Get information about tattoo removal programs.
Getting Out of a GangGetting Out of a Gang
Getting out is not an Getting out is not an easy task; retaliation, easy task; retaliation, reprisals and general reprisals and general “FEAR”, but it can be “FEAR”, but it can be done.done.
Rescue: Law Rescue: Law Enforcement & the Enforcement & the community needs to be community needs to be prepared and ready to prepared and ready to helphelp.
Notable QuotesNotable Quotes“Knowing gang life was so
surrounded by death, I don’t know how anyone could WANT to get into a gang.” Miss Moni, former gang member
“The way out is not by guns and violence. It is by using [your] minds. Educate yourself.”
EZ-T, former gang member
Quotes taken from Gangstyles; Quotes taken from Gangstyles; www.streetgangstyle.comwww.streetgangstyle.com
TAKE A 15-MINUTE BREAKTAKE A 15-MINUTE BREAK
©TCLEOSE Course #2101 Crime Prevention Curriculum Part I is the intellectual property of CSCS-ICJS (2009)
DEFINE & PROCESSDEFINE & PROCESS
• Define a gang
• Explain some recommended prevention and intervention strategies
• Explain some gang indicators and risk factors of gangs in your community
• Explain some tips of what can be done by parents, schools, and neighbors to
prevent gang activity
Gang Program ResourcesGang Program ResourcesNational Youth Gang Center WebsiteNational Youth Gang Center Website www.iir.com/nygcwww.iir.com/nygc
OJJDP Summary: Youth Gang Programs and Strategies (Howell, 2000) www.iir.com/nygc/PublicationLinks.htm#YGPIwww.iir.com/nygc/PublicationLinks.htm#YGPI
Addressing Community Gang Problems: A Practical Guide (BJA, 1998) www.iir.com/nygc/PublicationLinks.htm#CAYGwww.iir.com/nygc/PublicationLinks.htm#CAYG
Gang Program ResourcesGang Program Resources (cont.)
G.R.E.A.T Programs www.great-online.orgwww.great-online.org
National Crime Prevention Council: Teens, Crime, and the Community
www.ncpc.org/tccwww.ncpc.org/tcc
National Youth Gang Center
www.irr.com/nygcwww.irr.com/nygc
Latin American Youth Center www.layc-dc.orgwww.layc-dc.org
National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center
www.safeyou.orgwww.safeyou.org
Center for Safe Communities & Schools – Texas School Texas School Safety CenterSafety Center – San Marcos
www.cscs.txstate.edu www.cscs.txstate.edu
National Crime Prevention Council
1000 Connecticut Avenue, NWThirteenth Floor
Washington, DC 20036202-466-6272
202-296-1356 (fax)www.ncpc.org
Used with permission from the Bureau of Justice AssistanceSeptember 2006
Contact InformationContact Information
350 N. Guadalupe, Suite 140, PMB 164San Marcos, Texas 78666.
Institute for Criminal Justice StudiesInstitute for Criminal Justice Studies
©TCLEOSE Course #2101 Crime Prevention Curriculum Part I is the intellectual property of CSCS-ICJS (2009)