STUDENTS AGAINST VIOLENCE EVERYWHERE ~ JULY:

FOCUS ON GANGS

Many teens join gangs because they are bored, lacking in purpose, or looking for a way to belong. But there are other options. Sports, clubs, recreational, and after-school programs give you a great chance to meet new people, explore new interests, develop new talents and skills, and to connect with people that really care about you and your well-being. The response from school officials to the presence of gangs requires a combination of prevention, intervention, and enforcement strategies. Local law enforcement also needs to be involved since gang activity is usually present on and off school property. Gang activity often escalates in warmer weather and when schools are out for the summer, so this is a good month for SAVE chapters to focus on the awareness of this issue.

Crime Prevention Activities

• Educate students about the warning signs of gang activity such as graffiti, "colors", symbols and unusual hand signs.

• Publish an article in a school or local newspaper about the local gang culture including what to look for and tips for teens and parents.

• Invite a local member of law enforcement to speak to your chapter and parents on gangs.

• Encourage students to stay away from gangs and gang members. Remind them that if they look like a gang member and are seen with a gang member, they may be mistaken for a real gang member and have the chance of being an innocent target of violent gang behavior.

  For more Crime Prevention ideas

Conflict Management Activities

• Sponsor a role-playing activity showing the negative consequences of gang activity.

• Conduct an esteem-building workshop that celebrates each person as an individual.

• Educate students on areas to avoid in the school and community that are known for gang activity.

• Work with law enforcement and counselors to establish tips on how to respond when approached by gang members.

  For more conflict management ideas

Service Project Activities

• Find a local business to sponsor an after-school alternative to "hanging out" as a way to develop positive activities for teens.

• Work with local agencies to create "safe places" where youth can go for assistance when they are approached by gangs for membership or dangerous activities and institute a Neighborhood Watch or community patrol.

• More service project ideas

Gang Articles & Information

• How to Get Out of a Gang - Special thanks to North Chicago High School SAVE Chapter for providing this brochure!

• OJJDP Report Examines Best Practices To Address Gang Problems - The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has published "Best Practices To Address Community Gang Problems: OJJDP's Comprehensive Gang Model." The report provides communities responding to a present or potential youth gang problem with guidance in implementing OJJDP's Comprehensive Gang Model. It describes the research informing the model, notes findings from evaluations of several programs demonstrating the model, and outlines best practices derived from practitioners with experience in planning and implementing the model in their communities. http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/222799.pdf

• Gang Related Murders Soaring
  Source: Long Beach Press-Telegram, Long Beach, CA
  Written by: Beth Barrett
  Published: June 1, 2004
  
  While funding of juvenile programs was being cut, gang activity has been spreading rapidly from Los Angeles to the rest of the country, and homicides linked to juveniles in gangs have soared from 692 nationally in 1999 to more than 1,100 in 2002, according to a recent study, Caught in the Crossfire: Arresting Gang Violence by Investing in Kids.
  

• Gangs Eye Kids as Young as 7
  Source: The Washington Times, Washington, DC
  Written by: Jon Ward
  Published: May 18, 2004
  

  Gangs in Northern Virginia are a growing threat to residents' safety and are recruiting children as young as 7 years old, law enforcement officials said. … Gangs, which police say are growing in size and boldness, usually commit violent crimes against other gangs, but bystanders are at risk.

   

   

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  National Association of Students Against Violence Everywhere SAVE: Youth Voices... Grown-Up Choices! Toll Free 866-343-SAVE For more information contact cwray@nationalsave.org   /   Copyright 2012