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You Can Make A Difference |
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Saturday, 12 September 2009 00:00 |
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What can we as parents, teachers, mentors or friends do to prevent our youth from joining a gang?
Be aware of the following activities around the school or neighborhood:
- Clustering of rival groups (school, parks, parking lots, movie theaters, etc.)
- Movement of groups not common in your neighborhood (carloads of kids not from your neighborhood)
- Reports of fights and arguments on school property (i.e. bus stops, on buses, lunch hours)
- Increase in gang graffiti
- Violent incidents reported
- Sudden / excessive change in dress (wearing the same color/flying rags)
Take an active role in your children’s lives:
- Praise your children for doing well / encourage them to participate in positive activities
- Get to know your children’s friends and their families
- Set the example / be a positive model
- Talk and listen to your children
- Talk to your children about gangs / discourage participation
- Spend quality time with your children
- Put a high value on education
- Identify with positive role models
Several suggested skills for parents to prevent their children from entering a gang:
- Be a good observer
- Learn the real names of your children’s friends
- Monitor living space for gang paraphernalia, weapons and drugs
- Report all crimes
- Seek the facts – kids will tell you what you want to hear
- Set clear limits – follow through with discipline if they break the rules
Source: Gang Awareness: A Handbook for Parents, Teachers, and Concerned Citizens, San Antonio Police Department Youth Crime Service Unit.
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JPIC Corner September 2009
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