boys and gangs

Troubled boy?
Attack the behavior,not the child!
"It's Crunch Time!
by Marie Brewer
(a book of muscle for boys) $10.95 www.bbotw.com (40% off of 5 books or more) Also found on www.amazon.com
Read excerpts on this site!

A Book Of Muscle for boys

No MORE Gangs "It's Crunch Time!" ... a book of muscle for boys click here: http://www.bbotw.com/
product.aspx?ISBN=0-7414-5174-3

Excerpt from my book:

"The members of a gang may tell you to join their family.They may want you to fight or hurt somebody.This is not good.They may want you to steal from a store. Sometimes the gang may want you to carry a gun, knife, or wear their colors. That is scary. They are sad and angry. Stay away from them. Keep yourself safe and trouble will not follow you. Never give up on yourself!"( end of excerpt)

T .N. (Teacher's note) :
This problem of boys wanting to be in a gang has been around for a long time. I remember an incident that happened when I taught 3rd grade in a suburban school.During recess , a couple of boys decided to "beat up" another student.Then they told him, "Now, you are in a gang!" The teachers were all in shock.I wondered where they learned this behavior.They saw someone do this or was told how some gang members are initiated. This happened over 20 yrs. ago.The attraction of being in a gang is still here today.Educating our boys about the promise of a bright future may help them to be strong enough to say "no". We as parents can make sure that boys have a solid, peaceful, and disciplined home environment.
http://www.essortment.com/all/gangsignsands_reyp.htm

WARNING SIGNS

You should be concerned if your child:

Admits to gang involvement;

Is obsessed with one particular color of clothing or shows a desire for a particular logo over and over;

Wears sagging pants (this in and of itself is not indicative of gang activity);

Wears excessive jewelry with distinctive designs and may wear it only on either the right or left side of the body;

Is obsessed with gangster-influenced music, videos and movies to the point of imitation;

Withdraws from family with an accompanying change in demeanor;

Associates with undesirables and breaks parental rules consistently;

Develops an unusual desire for privacy and secrecy and may completely rearrange living quarters to create more privacy;

Uses hand signs while with friends and practices them at home;

Or there is evidence or the appearance of:

Physical injury (such as being beaten) and then child lies about the events surrounding the injury;

Peculiar drawings or language on school books (may appear later as tattoos or brands);

Unexplained cash or goods, i.e., clothing and jewelry; or &

Possible use of alcohol and drugs with attitude change.

Advise Your Children They Should Not:

Associate with gang members or "wannabe/gonnabe" gang members;

Identify or communicate with gangs;

Hang out near or where gangs congregate;

Wear gang-related clothing where gangs are known to gather or traverse;

Attend any party or social event sponsored by gangs or their associates;

Take part in any vandalism or graffiti activity.

The responces to the immediate questions below can help you tell if a kid is in a gang and what to do about it

Tips for Parents:

Impress upon your child the importance of school and good grades.

Spend quality time with your children

Get involved in your child's school activities.

Establish rules, set limits and be consistent, firm and fair in punishment.

Encourage good study habits.

Respect your child's feelings and attitudes and help them develop self-esteem.

Watch closely for negative influences.

Improve your own self-esteem so your children can model themselves after the most important "role model"… YOU.

Help children develop self-control.

Help children deal appropriately with problems.

How many are involved in gangs?

250,000 reported gang activity. 86% of those with at least 100,000 people reported gang

There are approximately 24,000 gangs in the U.S., with about 750,000 members

Ethnicity: 47% Hispanic; 31% African-American; 13% white; 7% Asian; 2% other

Some schools and communities have no gang members and others have as high as 38%. Go tothe National Youth Gang Survey the NYGC and National Survey of Schools to get the actual breakdowns by city, gender, income and ethnicity

100% of cities in the U.S. with at least activity.

Note on Ethnicity: Most studies find that you have a greater chance of being in a gang if you are non-white. This is due to greater poverty among non-whites. In rural areas and small towns where the poor are white, the gang members are also white
The presence of one or more risk factors helps a community understand which youth may be more vulnerable to gang recruit — male or female, wealthy or low-income, from any ethnic or racial background,from a functional or dysfunctional family may decide to join a gang. Gang involvement can begin as early as elementary school. Experts have identified high-risk characteristics that can contribute to a youth being vulnerable to gang membership. Gang members more often:
have experienced social deprivation or isolation
have needs that have been neglected or are unmet

are male

have other family members or friends involved with gangs

have seen excessive use of alcohol or other drugs in the home

live with a single parent or with grandparents

have poor academic performance

see poor to non-existent job prospects

are known for fighting and general aggressiveness in early adolescence, or have chronicdelinquency problems ment and enables the community to be more effective in implementing anti-gang programs

These conditions does not guarantee that a young person will join a gang!