Teen Gangs

Gangs and gang involvement play an important part in the lives of many of today's youth. For some teens it is either join a gang or get beat up every day until they do. The down side is part of joining some gangs requires the teen to get beat up by the gang as a part of initiation. Another downside is that when a teen joins a gang there is usually only one way out, death. For some teen's gangs replace the family they so desire. With either on parent or two disengaged parent's some teens find a sense of belonging that they don't feel at home. The gang members will always be there for them and always have their back. This security does not come without a price. In order to be in a gang the teen must do what he is asked by the leader of the gang.

Gang Involvement in Prison

Life inside of a penitentiary is similar to life on the street. An inmate is almost required to join a gang to stay alive. The downside is that to get inside of a gang the inmate will usually have to commit a crime, maybe even kill someone. There are a few inmates who are able to avoid joining a gang, but it is not an easy road to travel for them. Some prisons will actually divide the various sleeping areas into gangs to reduce the number of assaults that take place. Some penitentiaries have gang units that specialize in working with prison gangs. They identify prisoners by tattoo's they have, from other inmates, and from the information that follows them into prison. Some gangs outside of prison are even run by inmates that still have power of member on the outside.

Gangs in High School

In some inner city school districts gangs play an important part in the daily workings of high schools. There are police officers assigned to work in most high schools. The police presence helps reduce the dangers but it is impossible to completely control them. Most police forces have gang task forces assigned to deal with gangs in their precincts. The gang units work with the policemen that work in the high schools to assist them in their work.

Gang Involvement Prevention

It is impossible to guarantee that a child will never join a gang. It is possible to reduce the risk by becoming involved in the child's life. Parents that spend regular quality time with their kids will more than likely not have to deal with a child joining a gang. While this is difficult for a single parent it is not impossible. It is our belief that the main reason a child or teen join a gang is to fill a sense of belonging. If the teen is loved, taken care of, and given time at home they will be less likely to join a gang.