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I wish to thank this fantastic 15 year old young lady. Lauren wrote to me a few weeks ago, stating that though she was very touched by The Site Fights Stop Abuse pages and links, we had NOTHING in regards to stopping another very virulent problem in this world: GANGS!!! Lauren in her own words below shows great maturity in handling the subject of gangs and the reason this subject touches her so much (see Lauren's Note). I then asked her if she would create just such a web page and that I would place it on The Site Fights and WE WILL promote Anti-Gang Awareness and to promote Anti-Gang Resources. Therefore, with Lauren's help, DPatrol and The Site Fights are joining the WAR on Gangs!!! Lauren's Note: On a personal note: The topic of gangs is very personal to me, which should'nt be the case since I'm only 15 but it is. Someone I know and love (by the name of Dominick) is in a gang. He is a great person but having a hard time. On July 24th 1999, his bestfriend Evan Keller died in a gang. I would like to dedicate this page to Evan, to Dominick and to those struggling to get out of gangs and those who were not so lucky. (Anyone who wishes to correspond with Lauren regarding her Anti-Gang promotions, may send her an email through me. Send email to Lauren's Anti Gang Promotions and I will forward the email to her.) Poetry Lady's Website (Joanie's Note: I first approached the author/owner of Poetry Lady's Website, Patty Bunn, to ask for her help with The Site Fights Anti-Gang Website since she had so many poems on her site that I felt were excellent and fit this Anti-Gangs site so well. However, after reading the following email that I received in response, I will let the full email that she sent me say what only she can state. I ask that you please read her email to me and then visit Poetry Lady's site and read with an open heart everything that she has to say. She is on the inside and deals with these children every day. If we can stop the murder of one child by joining our sites then it will be worth it.) From:
Poetry Lady
Hi Joanie, I
went to the site you suggested and find it very inclusive regarding gangs.
I would like the gang page on my site to be affiliated with this site.
I have tried to sell these poems that I have written but
I work as an Instructional Aide for Juvenile Court Schools and have worked in the Community Schools, which is a school created for kids on probation or parole. I have used the poems on my site with these juveniles that I work with and it has brought me much satisfaction and they show me great respect because I have written them. On my Homepage I explain what I do and that these poems have been written for and inspired by the kids in the Juvenile system. They are very quick to want to discuss how teen life if affecting them, including the drug and gang scene. They also write poetry and so it is a bridge I can use in sharing my thoughts on how devastating that life style can be. If you read their poetry you will find that the image they are projecting is very different from the inside person. That is where the peer pressure comes in to play. They have a hard time seeing the big picture because of the peer pressure thing. Peer group pressure is a driving force for gang affiliation. Many I have talked to would really like for all the craziness to stop but as one told me, "Lady I would love to lay down my gun but how can I be sure the guy over there is going to lay down his and I could get killed if I don't stay together. I have a poem I wrote regarding his statements. I am not sure if I have put it on my site yet but I will check and see. If not I will do it in the next few days. Many times kids join out of fear. Many kids have died because they had the courage to say no and the ultimate price was their life. Even some have tried to get out and lost their lives. If one gang member should escape then that would lead others to think they could and then the gang would start losing control of their members. I know the age limit for gang affiliation is going down everyday but since this is a tradition that has been around for a long, long, time there are many older adults that consider themselves gang members and promote this situation. I know one 19 year old that is serving time right now because her father told her to retaliate on his behalf because this person had disrespected him. He is out on the street, but she is serving time for doing what he said. She has two little girls without a mom right now because she did what she was ordered to do. This respect thing is a crock because to be respected you have to earn respect. The respect they go by is a fear thing. Respect is supposed to be for doing something good. I think another reason for gangs is because they always create things that new members must do to prove they are worthy as a man or woman. In so many cultures they still have their Right of Passage ceremony and things that must be accomplished in order to gain their right to be called a man. We no longer have those ceremonies or things that kids have to live up to in order to know their time has come to not be called a child. A girl knows when she has become a woman because Mother Nature provides her with that. Boys have no way to know when they have passed over. So they create their own proof by being macho and doing crazy things to prove how unafraid they are. To them if you have the power then you are the man. I find more of that kind are really cowards. They are insecure and afraid so they join the gang where once they have gotten past the joining they can just blend in and bask in the power of the collective unit. The leader is simply someone who has the others faked out. If you remember how Adolph Hitler convinced a whole nation it was okay to kill millions of people for the good of everyone. Even though males are more likely to get the press for being in gangs, girls are doing their thing too. There are many more girls than people think that are involved in the same activity. It is almost like the Hells Angels thing. The macho males get all the glory and the women they have are just their bitches. Sorry but this is a real word in this situation. Women are still second class where gangs are concerned just like in the Hells Angels. Girls have to endure a lot to be accepted by guys in the gang life and they are never accepted on the same level. To me the gang scene is just cowards sticking together to strike fear into others. If you get one alone he is not so brave. Once one is badly injured or paralyzed you don't find the bro's coming around to wipe his behind when he can't do it himself. They might drop by for a few times in the beginning but when they see that he will never be able to hang out they don't stay around to support him. My site encompasses not only gangs but all things that teens find themselves going through during those years when they are trying to find themselves. At Juvenile Hall I am asked for copies of my poems all the time and the kids keep them and read them many times and share them with others in their units. I want to find a way to make a difference in a big way and felt if I put my poems on a Web Site that kids might find them and it might change lives. At school they call me the Poetry Lady and are always anxious to see anything new that I have written. I can touch the lives of more kids with my poetry, as an adult, than with all the reprimands I could come up with. Some say, "You wrote what is in my head." There is one Probation Officer, from Juvenile Hall, that uses a booklet of my poems to teach her gang classes. This is great but I want to make an even greater difference on a larger scale. I am hoping my Web Site will do this if enough kids can find it. I am not preaching in my poetry I am just stating the facts and the kids realize that. If I can be of any help to you please let me know. I will admit I really don't totally understand how this thing works. I am not in it for any glory just to reach kids and let them know there is an adult that understands and wants to help them. There are millions of sites out there and I want to find a venue that will put mine right in front of the kid that may be on the verge of making the biggest mistake of their life and maybe turn them around. Let me know what you need me to do. Thanks,
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The Institute for Intergovernmental Research (IIR) is a research and training organization specializing in law enforcement, juvenile justice, and criminal justice issues. IIR provides local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies with the hands-on help needed to implement changes that promote greater governmental effectiveness. Comprehensive
Approach to Youth Gangs:
Coordinating
Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
The
Department of Health and Human Services
NAGIA: The National Alliance of Gang Investigators' Associations (NAGIA) was formed in 1998. It is a cooperative organization currently composed of representatives from 17 regional gang investigators associations representing over 15,000 gang investigators across the country, as well as federal agencies and other organizations involved in gang-related matters. The NAGIA is a unique alliance of criminal justice professionals dedicated to the promotion and coordination of national anti-gang strategies. The NAGIA also advocates the standardization of anti-gang training, establishment of uniform gang definitions, assistance for communities with emerging gang problems, and input to policymakers and program administrators. The NAGIA is not meant to replace or duplicate the services provided by any other entity. Rather, it facilitates and supports regional gang investigators associations, the Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS), as well as federal, state and local anti-gang initiatives. National Major Gang Task Force (NMGTF): The mission of the National Major Gang Task Force (NMGTF) is to display leadership in linking all 50 states correctional systems, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, major jails, law enforcement and probation and parole offices throughout the country. This will be accomplished by the development of a National Correction Informational Sharing System. This has not changed since the Task Force's inception. Strategic goals and objectives of the NMGTF include networking, training, and the establishment of information sharing standards with regard to Gangs and Security Threat Group management in correctional settings. The NMGTF also recognizes that the courts and the community have a reasonable expectation that corrections will display leader in protecting the community and fulfilling the mandates of the courts. The NMGTF has been nationally recognized in the criminal justice system for achieving uniqueness in gang intervention and management strategies. The integration and partnerships between corrections and law enforcement has resulted in obtaining successful state criminal indictments and Federal Racketeer Influence Corrupt Organization (RICO) prosecutions with multiple defendants. In addition the NMGTF Executive Board members have provided valuable technical assistance in the development of state-wide Gang/Security Threat Group programs in numerous jurisdictions. The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA): BJA's mission to reduce crime and improve the criminal justice system begins in local communities. We have learned that no one program or agency can make our streets and schools safe–the most powerful weapon against crime and violence is collaboration among community residents, faith-based organizations, schools, businesses, and the criminal justice system on specific local problems. National Citizens' Crime Prevention Campaign: National Crime Prevention Council National in scope but local in implementation, the National Citizens' Crime Prevention Campaign will continue to reach out to youth, families, public and private service providers, and elected officials to reduce and prevent crime, violence, and substance abuse and build safer, more caring communities. The Campaign promotes and teaches prevention as an effective method to reduce crime. The Campaign's award-winning public service message featuring McGruff the Crime Dog uses print, broadcast, and telecast formats to challenge Americans to do something about crime and violence. The Campaign provides training and technical assistance to community leaders on a wide variety of crime prevention topics, develops programs in areas such as comprehensive government and grassroots crime prevention planning partnerships, promotes crime prevention though environmental design, and organizes youth violence prevention activities. In FY 2000, the Campaign will continue to develop comprehensive, community-based approaches to reducing crime and fear of crime. Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP): The principal purpose of ONDCP is to establish policies, priorities, and objectives for the Nation's drug control program, the goals of which are to reduce illicit drug use, manufacturing, and trafficking; drug-related crime and violence; and drug-related health consequences. To achieve these goals, the Director of ONDCP is charged with producing the National Drug Control Strategy, which directs the Nation's anti-drug efforts and establishes a program, a budget, and guidelines for cooperation among Federal, State, and local entities. The Boys and Girls Clubs of America: In every community, boys and girls are left to find their own recreation and companionship in the streets. An increasing number of children are at home with no adult care or supervision. Young people need to know that someone cares about them. Boys & Girls Clubs offer that and more. Club programs and services promote and enhance the development of boys and girls by instilling a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging and influence. Boys & Girls Clubs are a safe place to learn and grow -- all while having fun. It is truly The Positive Place For Kids. Police Atheletic League (PAL): To foster and encourage in the youth of the community a spirit of loyalty and faith in American traditions and institutions; to participate actively in constructive movements and endeavors for the promotion and safeguarding of the interests and general welfare of the youth of the community; to promote the spirit of benevolence, friendship, sociability, good-will and tolerance amongst the youth of the community; to cultivate and improve the moral and civic standards of the youth of the community; to provide a meeting place or meeting places where youth of the community may enjoy educational and social benefits and athletic activities under competent supervision; to prevent and combat juvenile delinquency; to acquire, lease, hold, use, mortgage and dispose of real and personal property to carry out the purposes of the Corporation; to do any and all other things lawful and proper in the promotion of the common interest of the youth of the community; and in general, to have all powers conferred upon a corporation by the laws of the State of New York except as herein prohibited or forbidden by the Constitution and By-Laws of the Corporation. Table of Contents The Site Fights Anti-Gang Website 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 Gang Prevention and Intervention Special Notes and Thanks |