My gang will protect me, and I will feel safe.

Wrong!  While you may believe that joining a gang will protect you from bullies or other gang members, being in a gang greatly increases your chances to be a target for rival gang members.  You are far more likely to be injured or killed if you are in a gang.  Many former gang members report that they had to change their lives dramatically as a gang member.  They could no longer wear clothing they used to wear.  They got into fights while attending school with rival gang members, and ended up dropping out of school.  They felt unsafe going out of their neighborhoods, and they couldn't ever be sure where they might be confronted by rivals.  Even if they got out of gangs, their rivals didn't forget them.  They still had many enemies who might hurt or kill them. 

Other people will respect me more if I am in a gang.

Wrong!  Respect in many gangs really means fear.  If you join a gang, you will constantly have to commit crimes in order to keep other gang members afraid of you.  At any age, respect is something you can earn by getting an education and accomplishing goals in your life.  Respect in the gang culture will go away the first time you fail to hurt someone who insults you or puts you down.  That kind of respect isn't real, and it doesn't last. 

Joining a gang means I'll have lots of friends.

You will have friends, but you'll also make lots of enemies--the members of rival gangs.  Also, your friends who haven't joined the gang may stop wanting to be around you.  Your gang may not approve if you have friends or date people outside the gang.  They may question and test your loyalty, and insist that you hang out only with them.

My gang will be just like a family.

Wrong!  Real families don't force people to commit crimes to get respect and love.  Real families accept you and love you for who and what you are.  Even if your family is having problems, being in a gang will not solve them--it will only make things worse.  If you join a gang, your family members may become targets for rival gangs.  Joining a gang will only increase the number of fights you have with your parents.  You will eventually get into trouble with the law, and your parents and family members will be hurt and disappointed.  You will set a bad example for your brothers and sisters.  You will not find the kind of love you're looking for from a gang.

I'll make lots of money if I'm in a gang.

Most gang members make very little money being part of a gang.  Those who do, usually end up doing time.  Plus, if you're in a gang, it's far more likely that you'll drop out of school because of problems with rival gang members.  Getting your education is the key to making money--not joining a gang.

I can never get out of my gang.

Wrong!  Gang members decide to leave the gang lifestyle every day in cities around the U.S.  It is a myth that the only way to leave a gang is by dying.  Most gang members who leave are able to live normal lives, going to school and working just like everyone else.  However, in some cases, getting out of a gang isn't easy, and you may have to leave your home, school or community in order to be safe.  It IS easier to get into a gang than to get out of one, but you can choose to leave the gang life today.  Here is one example of a man who left his gang for a better life.  There are many more examples of people who have successfully walked away from gangs, as well.

The best option of all, however, is to stay out of gangs in the first place

Parenting Resources for the 21st Century:
Parenting Resources for the 21st Century links parents and other adults responsible for the care of a child with information on issues covering the full spectrum of parenting. This site, federally sponsored through the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, strives to help families meet the formidable challenges of raising a child today by addressing topics that include school violence, child development, home schooling, organized sports, child abuse, and the juvenile justice system.

 For most gang members, the gang they belong to meets some kind of need in their life:  for safety, love, excitement or money.  When a gang member learns that he or she can meet these needs in other ways, the gang may lose its appeal, and this person may decide to walk away from the gang life.   However, being a gang member is far more dangerous than the typical dangers faced by most of today's teenagers.  For that reason, the issue for many gang members is not if they will decide to stop being a gang member.  The issue is whether they will live long enough to make that decision. 
Make a plan for getting out: 

 When gang members decide that they want to leave the gang, there are a few simple steps they can follow:  Never tell the gang that you plan to leave.  You may be beaten or even killed. 
 Begin spending your time doing other things.  Instead of spending time hanging out with your gang friends, find something else to do during that time.  Look around.  There are possibilities everywhere:  sports, recreation centers, Boys and Girls Clubs, arts programs, drama, school activities, and even spending time with your family. 

 Try to stop looking like a gangster.  For many gang members, dressing down  makes them feel safe because other people are afraid of the way they look.  As you begin to believe in yourself, you will find that you don't need to make other people feel afraid in order to feel good about yourself.  Stop wearing the clothes that you think have a gang meaning. 

 Find other things to say, other things to do, and other people to do them with.  (HINT:  This is much easier if you stop dressing like a gang member first.)  Stop hanging out with gang members, talking like a gang member, and acting like a gang member. 

 Get good at making excuses.  Your parents can probably help you with this, but if not, try asking a teacher for help or maybe just an older friend.  Some former gang members have said that when they started trying to leave the gang, they stopped taking phone calls from their gang friends, or had their family members tell friends from the gang that they were busy or involved in some other activity. 

Find people who will support you and believe in you 

 Getting out of a gang isn't easy, but it can be done.  Young people across America make the decision to have a better life every day.  Find people, especially adults, who think that you are special and will keep telling you that.  In your mind, think of a supportive adult wherever you go (school, neighborhood, rec center) that you can touch base with if you have a problem or need to talk.  Then use these people to help support you as you change with good advice and assistance.  Finally, begin believing in your power to change.  Gangs are a dead-end street.  No matter who you are, what you have done, or where you live, you deserve better. 

Youth Gang Consortium Survey of Federal Gang Programs

Forward by:

Shay Bilchik
Administrator

Office of Juvenile Justice 
and Delinquency Prevention

In recent years, the United States has witnessed the rapid growth of youth gangs and associated violence. As a Nation, we have come to recognize that there are no simple solutions to the youth gang problem. There is an urgent need in gang-ridden neighborhoods to mobilize the creative energies of the entire community in a comprehensive campaign to identify the nature and extent of the youth gang problem, to prevent at-risk youth from joining gangs, to intervene with gang-involved youth to redirect their lives on a positive course, to suppress gang-related crime, and to respond to the needs of gang-related crime victims and witnesses. 
We must look beyond the immediate priority to safeguard the public, and also attack the underlying root causes which attract youth to join gangs in the first place. We can offer our youth a viable alternative to gangs by providing opportunities for success as productive citizens.

The most promising gang initiatives are those which strategically engage the talents of the full spectrum of community including youth and adult residents, educators, social workers, mental health practitioners, youth workers, business leaders, and the faith community in concert with the more traditional juvenile justice components of police, courts, and corrections. 

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention has convened the Youth Gang Consortium to engage Federal, state, and local representatives in a collaborative dialogue targeting the reduction of violence and other crime associated with youth gangs. This Survey of Gang Programs provides an overview of current Federal initiatives addressing gang-related concerns through demonstration programs, research, technical assistance, and training. We are pleased to make this information available to the public through the Internet Web page at the National Youth Gang Center, located at the following address:

http://www.iir.com/nygc/

Future efforts of the Youth Gang Consortium will focus on providing more in-depth descriptions of effective program strategies which are currently being implemented in jurisdictions across the Nation. The Youth Gang Consortium is committed to amassing the tools needed by local communities to successfully turn the tide against the escalation of gang activity and the violence which accompanies it.

The Site Fights Anti-Gang Website

How widespread are Gangs??

What are gangs and how are they formed?

Why do kids join gangs? How can I tell if my child is in a gang?

Common Myths About Gangs:  Get the Truth

What can I do?

Special Notes and Thanks

Copyright(s) and Disclaimers