Children and Gangs info
Training
How to help kids stay out of
gangs
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Table of Contents
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Why Learn About Gangs
Gang Fascination
Local Gang Identifiers
Gang Slang
At Risk Kids
Indicators of Gang Involvement
Children Facing Gang Intimidation
Levels of Gang Involvement
Tactics for Dealing With Gang Activity
How Bigs Can Help At Risk Youth
Building a Child’s Resources and Problem Solving Skills
If Big Fears Gang Involvement After Being Matched
Additional Resources
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Why Learn About Gangs?
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Everyone should learn about gangs. Adults and parents should
learn about gangs so they are aware of what is going on around
them so they can look for warning signs in the kids they
associate with. This also helps them teach correct information
when the opportunity is presented.
Even young kids should know what gangs are and that it is
something that they want to stay away from.
Girls are just as likely as boys to be involved with a gang. If they
don’t get the correct information from a trusted adult, they could
receive glorified information from other sources (music, TV, older
kids) which could make gang life sound more appealing than it
actually is.
Make sure the information given to them is age appropriate. For
examples visit http://www.talkwithkids.org/violence.html
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Gang Fascination
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If a child is starting to show fascination with a gang (see local
gang identifiers) then this can be a great opener of talking to
a child about it. Ask them why they like these things
(Example: Why do you always wear blue, Why is the number
14 on all of your notebooks, why are you writing your words
like that?)
This gives you an opportunity to find out who their friends
are, where they are getting their influences, and what level of
involvement they are. If they are just fascinated by it, help
them understand the realities of gang life and that it should
not be a lifestyle they choose.
Be patient and give them the opportunity to talk. Let them
know you are there for them and won’t judge them.
Remember just because they are making a poor choice does
not make them a bad person.
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Local Gang Identifiers
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The next few slides cover local gang identifiers. If a child is showing
an obsession with these things then it could indicate gang
involvement or gang fascination.
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Nationally estimated there are over 960,000 gang members and there
are active gangs in all 50 states
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Each gang has numbers, letters, colors and sports teams usually
associated with them –see individual gangs
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Territory listed are common areas for that gang, but they can be
found in other areas
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Numbers, letters and symbols can be hidden in drawings and things
that the child does.
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Common ways to hide them are: the points on a crown, roman numerals,
switching numbers for letters, on clocks, in corners, or in place of shapes
within a drawing
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Local Gang Identifiers
“Surenos”
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Nick Names and Sets: MS 13, Mexican Mafia,
Emme (Spanish for M), Avenues (Aves), Crown
Latin Kings,
Color –Blue
Number:13 -13th letter of the alphabet is M
Sports Teams: Oakland Raiders, Chicago White
Sox and LA Kings
Rival: Nortenos
Territory: The Avenues, 13th and 18th street,
Ogden
*Surenos are the most confrontational, having
rivalries with almost every other gang, including
other Sureno sets
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Local Gang Identifiers
“Nortenos”
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Nick Names and Sets: Ene (Spanish for
N), American Mafia Gangsters, 6th Street,
Northside
Color –Red
Number- 14 -14th letter of the alphabet is
N (sometimes written as X4)
Sports Team: New York Yankees
Rivals: Surenos
Territory: 6th street, North Salt Lake,
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Local Gang Identifiers
“Bloods”
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Nick Names and Sets -Piru, 8 Ball, Black Mafia
Gansters
Color- Red
Number: 5
Sports Teams Chicago Bulls, Cincinnati Reds, Kansas
City Chiefs, Redskins, 49ers, and other Red Teams
Rival: Crips
Territory: 7th street, 55th street,
Will avoid using words with the letter c in them (for
Crips) will usually substitute it for a k or s when
writing (depending on what sound the c makes in
the word)
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Local Gang Identifiers
“Crips”
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Nick Names and Sets: East Side Mafia, Baby
Regulators
Color: Blue
Sports Teams: Michigan, Notre Dame, North Carolina,
Georgetown, Dallas Cowboys, and other blue teams
Rival: Bloods
Territory: 15th Street, West Side, East Side, Rose
Park,
Will avoid writing ck (this is slang for Crip Killer) and
replaced with double c in words. They will also add
Ks after Bs (slang for blood killer) ex “kick back”
would be written as “kicc bkacc”)
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Local Gang Identifiers
“Straight Edgers”
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Nick Names and Sets: SXE, XXX, X
Number: 10
Sports Team: New York Yankees and Syracuse
Rivals: All other gangs
This started as a movement for kids to abstain
from drugs, alcohol and sex, but some members
in Utah decided to violently enforce their beliefs
on other people. This moved it into a gang
classification. A child can consider themselves
as a “Straight Edge” and not be participating in
violence. Ask questions before assuming that
they are involved in gang activity
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Gang Slang
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801,213, 310 714: Area Codes of
Gang’s Location
21: 21 Street a Utah Local Gang
187: A California Penal Code, which
stands for homicide
CK, BK, NK, SK, : Crip Killer, Blood
Killer, Norteno Killer, Sureno Killer,
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At Risk Kids
There are several factors that can put
a child at risk for gang involvement.
These could be things from a poor
family environment to a tough
neighborhood, to personality clashes
with peers. The next few slides
cover these more in depth.
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At Risk Kids
Profile
Personality Profile most likely to join gangs: Angry
Loner –The quiet angry type of person is usually
socially isolated with few friends. 10-14 years old
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Poor relationships with family and friends
Poor School Performance
Trouble with truancy
Lack of alternative activities
Poor problem solving skills
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Violence
Avoidance
*The more risk factors a child has the more likely they are
to join a gang
We can help by focusing on where they are struggling
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At Risk Kids
Reasons They Join Gangs
Identity and sense of belonging
 Protection Power and Prestige
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Fulfill basic needs
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Not be hurt in own neighborhood
Family was in a gang
Can rise in the ranks
money
family
cares for them, love them
Fun and excitement
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Indicators Of Gang
Involvement
Admits they are in a gang
They are hanging around known gang members
Displaying graffiti on folders, desks, shoes, bedroom walls
ect.
Drastic change in style-wearing
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wearing only one color, and avoiding anything with a certain color
on it
wearing one particular number, usually associated in some way in
all clothing
slashes in eyebrows
Hair –Shaved Marks representing numbers or symbols
For school they will often hide their gang insignia on the inside of
a jacket, in a belt or the bottom of a shoe so they can flash their
color or sign on the sly
Jewelry- can have hidden numbers or gang symbols
Developing bad attitude toward authority figures
Violent Mood Swings
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Gang Intimidation
Not all kids with risk factors want to join gangs but
feel pressures and fears from gangs around them
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Fear of facing pressures to join a gang
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Friends are members
Family are members
Neighborhood is run by a gang
Fear of being associated with a gang
Scared to go down the wrong streets
Scared to wear the wrong colors
Fear of facing gang pressure in schools –
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If gang intimidation is happening at schools
immediate action needs to be taken and talk with
principal counselor and teacher about the situation
and with local gang officer
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Levels of Gang Involvement
There are three different levels of gang
involvement. From least to most involved
they are Peripheral, Associate, and Hard
Core.
Each have their own identifying
characteristics and ways to help them.
For further explanation on helping
members see tactics for dealing with
gang members
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Levels Of Gang Involvement
Peripheral
Younger kids are known as Peripheral Kids who want to be
known as gangsters ages 9-14.
They have not been formally initiated into a gang, but they
already have their loyalties to a gang.
They are more underground at school than in the
community
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They are often called “wanna-bes” but in reality if they stay
on their current path they are “gonna-bes”
They are willing to take risks because they want to be known
as hard core this can make them the most dangerous as they
are proving themselves and their loyalty.
Hard core uses them to do illegal activity
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Send them into schools for recruitment
Send them on drug runs
Tactic for helping them: Prevention and Intervention
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Levels of Gang Involvement
Associate
Have been formally initiated
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Becoming more involved with illegal activity
Want to Move Up in Gang Ranks
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jumped-in-gang: members beat up new members to
initiate them often seen as a fight and usually
recorded
sexed in: female gang members with have sex with
several high ranking gang members to be initiated
Gain Power
Gain Respect
Higher Cut of Money
Tactic for helping them: Intervention
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Levels of Gang Involvement
Hard Core
Most Likely have been arrested multiple
times
Have a high ranking in “brotherhood”
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Heavily into illegal activity
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Lead over associates and peripheral
Give the commands to newer members
Most likely have been shot at and had
friends that have died
Tactic: Suppression THEN intervention
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Tactics of Dealing with Gangs
Prevention
Building their support system
Helping their self Esteem
Stopping them before they join the
gang
Helping them in their risk areas
Getting them involved in
alternatives
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Hobbies
Sports
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Tactics of Dealing with Gangs
Intervention
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Helping them leave the gang
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Breaking them of their gang habits
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not using gang signs
not using gang slang
not wearing gang colors
Helping them find alternative life-style
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Friends
Activities
Hobbies
Support Systems
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Tactics of Dealing With Gangs
Suppression
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Removing them from society
Sending them to jail
 Moving them to another community
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How Can Our Bigs Help
Children at risk of joining gangs won’t
do so if they have a good support
system around them. Our Bigs do a
great job of doing that for their
“Littles” every day in the small
things. The next few slides give
some pointers on how they can
specifically help at risk kids stay out
of gangs
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How Can Our Bigs Help?
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Consistency is the key to keeping children out of
gangs Adults often feel uncomfortable discussing
sensitive issues such as gangs and violence with young
people. However, it is important that adults talk frankly
and openly with youth about these matters. The
significance of anti-gang messaging increases when it
comes from a person who has invested significant time
and energy in building a relationship with the youth
Youth need to hear a consistent message delivered by
adults with whom they have an existing relationship.
The effectiveness of the discussion is increased by
repetition and by continuity in the relationship with the
adult.
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How Can Our Bigs Help? (cont.)
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Build the message by starting at the youth’s level of
understanding. What are they aware of? It is important to
determine the level at which discussion should begin to avoid
alarming young people who may be less aware of gangs or
downplaying a more serious issue impacting youth. Adults should
listen more than they talk. The more an adult listens to what the
youth has to say the more open the discussion will become.
Emphasize the negative effects of gang involvement on youth,
their families, friends, schools, and communities. Effects of
joining a gang may include increased risk of injury to one’s self or
family members/friends, difficulties in school, pressure to commit
criminal acts, and consequences of committing criminal acts –
imprisonment, lack of future job opportunities, harming others.
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How Can Our Bigs Help?
(cont.)
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Accentuate that their choices matter because their happiness
and well-being are important to the people who care about
them. Stress to youth that they are responsible for their own
choices. Help youth see the relationship between their
choices and their circumstances.
Take a strong no tolerance stand against gangs and violence.
Youth should not be allowed to glorify gang activity, dress in
gang style clothing or use gang related slang or insults during
activities. Impress that by doing so they are disrespecting
their friends & family and endangering themselves and
others.
Remain accessible and involved with youth. Long term caring
relationships with supportive adults provide youth with an
incentive and a support network to stay out of gangs.
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How Can Our Bigs Help?
(cont.)
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Try to incorporate discussions about positive life choices into everyday
conversations. Discussing gangs only once with youth does not seem
to have any lasting effect.
Help youth to effectively process the complex and conflicting
messages about gangs and violence that they see in movies media
music and in the community.
Highlight the youth’s good qualities. Point out positive actions that
you observe. Many youth who are already involved in gangs or
delinquency receive a lot of negative feedback everyday. Show them
their special attributes and skills, and encourage efforts to make good
decisions. Be specific with the praise rather than general.
Help them build confidence in school and Academic Performance
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Building a Child’s Resources
and Problem Solving Skills
Children at risk usually need extra
help with learning how to solve
problems and what resources are
available to them. You can help
them build these. The next few
slides will give examples of how to
do so broken out by age category
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Building a Child’s Resources
and Problem Solving Skills
5-7 Year Olds
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Enjoy organized games and are very concerned about
following rules. Play games with them that involve
figuring things out and being creative
Are very imaginative and involved in fantasy playing.
Create fantasy problems and have them use their
imagination to figure them out
Are self-assertive, aggressive, boastful, want to be first,
and are less cooperative than younger children. Help
them see how to cooperate and build healthy
friendships.
Learn best through active participation, let them do
things hands on instead of lecturing to them
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Building a Child’s Resources
and Problem Solving Skills
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8-10 Year Olds
Can be very competitive. Help them learn what
it means to compromise and cooperate.
Being accepted by friends becomes quite
important. Help them learn what it means to be
a good friend and how to choose good friends
Team games become popular. If they want, help
them sign up for a local kids sports teams
Worshipping heroes, TV stars, and sports figures
is common. Make sure they are not idolizing the
wrong type of people
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Building a Child’s Resources
and Problem Solving Skills
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11-13 Year Olds
Cliques start to develop outside of school. Make sure they are
choosing a group of friends that won’t get them in trouble
Friends set the general rule of behavior. If child is acting out find out
reasons behind them
Feel a real need to conform. They dress and behave alike in order to
“belong.” Make sure they are not emulating dress and actions of
local gangs
Are very concerned about what others say and think of them. Help
them see that their self esteem is not dependent on other people
Have a tendency to manipulate others (“Mary’s mother says she can
go. Why can’t I?”). Don’t give into manipulation and hold firm to
boundaries
Interested in earning own money. Help them get a job babysitting or
doing a paper route or something suited to their skills and age
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Building a Child’s Resources
and Problem Solving Skills
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14-16 Year Old
Going to extremes, emotional instability. Be supportive
of them even when they are having a teen crisis and
make sure they know you are there for them not matter
what the problem.
“know-it-all” attitude. Don’t solve their problems for
them, but give them the tools to help them solve it
themselves
Fear of ridicule and of being unpopular. Help them see
that good friends are more important than always
having the popular friends
Strong identification with an admired adult. Make sure
they are admiring the right type of adult
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What To Do If Gang
Involvement is Feared
If you are matched with a child that is
showing some warning signs of being
involved with a gang that doesn’t mean
all is lost.
If they are involved with a gang they need
you now more than ever to be an
example and a resource for the
We have steps in place to help you talk with
them and and still support them
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What To Do If Gang
Involvement is Feared
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How To Talk To Them:
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Ask Questions –Not Yes and No questions,
make them open-ended
Be Patient –Don’t Pressure, allow time, don’t
interrupt
Listen Totally –Listen with your whole body
Be Aware- Look for hints that they are
opening up to you totally
Seek Approval- Echo
Do not use gang nick-names
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What To Do if Gang
Involvement is Feared
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Your Match Support Specialist will help asses risk of meeting
with Little based on level of child’s gang involvement
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Child’s Relationship with Volunteer
Child’s level of aggression
Child’s neighborhood
Friends constantly hanging out with child
Even if meeting in person is not possible we still encourage you
to maintain some form of contact
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Letters
Phone
E-mail
Stay focused on their strengths and viewing them as an
individual
The Match Support Specialist, Big, and parent should work
together to help Little get involved in an intervention program
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Additional Resources
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Your Match Support Specialist
Project 180 –Gang Intervention Kenny Dorrell
projectoneeighty@yahoo.com, 801-654-0446
Talking with Kids about violence
http://www.talkwithkids.org/violence.html
G.R.E.A.T. Program www.great-online.org
National Crime Prevention Council: Teens, Crime, and the
Community www.ncpc.org/tcc
National Gang Center www.irr.com/nygc
Latin American Youth Center www.layc-dc.org
National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center
www.safeyou.org
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Thank You For Taking An
Interest In Today’s Youth
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