Tell-Tale Signs
of Gang Membership

• Drug use.
• Decline in grades at school.
• Truancy.
• Change of friends.
• Keeping late hours.
• Having large sums of money or expensive items which cannot be explained.

• Gang graffiti in their bedrooms on items such as books, posters, and bedroom walls.
• Wearing gang clothing or colors.
• Using hand signals to communicate with other gang members.
• Having photographs showing gang names, gang slogans, gang insignia , or gang activities.
• Gang tatoos or gang insignia.
• Disclosure of gang membership.
• Witnesses connecting the individual to gang activity.

Gang involvement can begin as early as elementary school. Children as young as 7-8 years have been recruited to work for gangs.

Once in the gang, the child's behavior may change either suddenly or gradually, but it will follow a pattern. To be accepted by the gang, he or she must adopt a defiant attitude toward authority figures. The defiance may be expressed by violent behavior at school or home.

At school, the child lets everyone know of his or her new status. He wears gang clothing and becomes disrespectful toward the teacher and others. The new gang member may fight others to gain a reputation for being "bad." He will pick a victim, but before doing so, he will announce his intentions to friends and others so they can be there to cheer the gang member on and spread the word about his toughness.

When at home, the new gang member's defiance may or may not manifest itself in violence, depending on the relationship with his or her parents and other family members. However, if the family interferes with the child's gang involvement, there may be repeated confrontations.

Every youth has basic needs for feelings of self worth, identity, acceptance, recognition, companionship, belonging, purpose, and security. When the youth feels that the family, schools, churches, and communities are not meeting these basic needs, he or she may turn to gangs.

• Talk to your child or teenager. Discuss the consequences of being in a gang.
• Involve your child in family and outside activities.
• Take an active interest in your child's schooling and academic progress.
• Contact government agencies such as the police and juvenile authority. They may have a crime prevention or gang specialist who can give you information.
• Call community based organizations. Many have experience with gang problems and can give you some valuable advice.
• Go to your religious leaders for advice. They may have programs to help neighborhood children.
• Report and remove any graffiti in your neighborhood.

Youth that fall prey to gang seduction pay a high price for membership. Initiation rights often involve committing serious criminal, usually violent acts to prove loyalty.

Gang membership almost guarantees one a criminal record, not to mention the physical risks and dangers of violent activities. The physical risks and dangers include not only the gang member but the family members and innocent bystanders as well.

Gangs often depend on the youngest members to carry out the most serious offenses because juveniles receive more lenient treatment and lesser penalties when found guilty of a crime.

 

Profile of a Tagger How you can tell if your child is a graffiti vandal or doing gang graffiti. Some indications that your child may be a tagger are: Your child stays out until early morning or all night. Your child frequently wears a large back pack or baggy pants. Clothing may be paint stained. Packs and loose clothing can be used to hold paint cans or carry graffiti tools. Your child sleeps during the day. Your child has paint on the tips of his/her fingers. Your child has permanent marker stains on his/her hands. Your child has graffiti magazines, flyers, a "piece book," or other portfolio of tags. Your child possesses large quantities of "My Name Is" stickers or other large stickers used for "sticker tagging." Your child is in possession of graffiti paraphernalia such as markers, etching tools, spray paint, bug spray and starch cans. The bug spray cans are used to make tags that will only show up in the rain. (Sharp rocks, metal scribes, awls, or screwdrivers are used as etching tools.) Your child is in the age group statistically associated with tagging, ages 12-18 (sometimes older). Your child has graffiti displays or tags on clothing, binders, backpacks, and the underside of the bill of their hat. Tags you see on the walls of your neighborhood are seen on your child's walls, books, and clothing. Your child is frequently deceitful about his/her activities. Your child has quantities of paint in cans but does not have the income to afford it. Your child associates with other children with the traits described above. Remember that taggers can come from any race, religion, social group, or from any family financial status.

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