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This
Gang Awareness Message is from Michael Leonard, Criminal Justice
Consultant.
  
Message for Parents
What preventive steps can parents take to help
their children avoid possible risk of gang membership?
Parents Should:
- Praise your child and encourage him/her
to do his/her very best.
- Explain the dangers and consequences of
being a member of a gang.
- Share your disapproval of gangs and that
you do not want him/her hurt.
- Explain to your child that gang peer
pressure means that he/she is letting someone else make decisions for
him/her.
- Discuss that joining a gang makes him/her
dependent rather than an independent thinker
- Have
a zero tolerance for the display of gang names, symbols, or any other
gang related graffiti on books, papers, clothes, bodies, walls or any
other place.
- Set boundaries by imposing curfews and
requiring accountability for time.
- Emphasize the importance of education and
help your child do his/her best in school.
- Monitor all activities on websites and
the internet, because gangs recruit on the internet.
- Involve your child in supervised,
positive group activities in school, in church, in the community.
- Become
an active participant in your child’s life. Respect your child’s
feelings and attitudes and help them develop high self-esteem.
What are the signs of possible gang involvement
that parents should watch for?
- Changes in school attendance or school
work habits
- Non participation in family activities or
withdrawal from family gatherings
- Changes or new use of slang in the
youth’s vocabulary
- Associates with undesirable friends and
breaks parental rules consistently
- Missing curfew or staying out later than
usual
- Change in behavior by demanding too much
privacy
- Participating in the use of alcohol or
drugs
- Obtaining money or articles of clothing
that are unaware to parents
- Emotional mood swings or changes in
patterns of behavior.
All
of these can be seen as normal patterns of youth development. You need
to have at least three of these identifiers in combination to indicate
possible gang involvement. Know the difference by being an
involved
parent.
Every
community should have a complete and thorough gang assessment done by a
professional gang expert. Interested in a presentation to
your
business, church, civic group or classroom?
You can
reach Michael Leonard Sr. at his email address Gangsrreal@yahoo.com.
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