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Gang Prevention
What is a "gang"?
Three or more people who come together under a common set or sign
to commit criminal activity or participate in antisocial behavior.
How do you tell if your son or daughter is involved in gang activity?
- Major and
sudden change in friends.
- The wearing
of only certain colors and refusal to wear certain other colors.
- Gang graffiti
on hands ( written in ink) and school books, look also in their
bedrooms for graffiti.
- Friends begin
to call them by a nickname i.e., Sleepy, Lil Loc, etc.
- More than
usual distancing from thier family and siblings.
- Substance
abuse( Marijuana, Alcohol, Spray Paint, Cocaine)
- Violations
of the Law, usually starts as curfew or fighting
- He/She comes
home beatup and will not allow you to call the Police about it.
- All their
friends dress in the same color of clothing.
- Grades at
school drop dramatically.
If your
Son or Daughter is exhibiting four or more of these outward signs
you need to get help at once!!!
What do
I do if I suspect that my child is involved or becoming involved
with a gang?
- Do not keep
it a secret, Just as in substance abuse, denial of the gang problem
will lose your child to the streets. Very few families have the
expertise that it takes to deal with the problem. If Immediate
Intervention is not began, your family is in for a long painful
battle. Usually if you get a third party involved i.e., Area Mental
Health, Status Offender Office, Finney County Sheriffs Office
(Gang Officer), Garden City Police Department Community Officers
or private counseling you can intervene before it gets out of
control.
- Once the
decision is made to get help follow through with it, You must
have the mind set that you are willing to do whatever it takes
to help your child.
- If all avenues
are exhausted and your son or daughter is still involved with
the gang, it is time to start looking for a change of living arrangements,
some families have needed to relocate, others have sent their
child to live with relatives. Getting them out of the world they
have created for themselves is essential!
What do I teach
my Son or Daughter about staying out of gangs and protecting themselves
from gang violence? The old Reagan drug phrase "just say no" no longer
works for gang resistance. You must teach your child to not only say
no but to dress no, talk no, walk no, and act no! Communication and
dealing with situations in a timely matter will prevent most kids
from becoming involved in the dangerous world of gangs. Spend time
with your child, that in and of its self is the best investment you
will make for their future. |
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