3/8/2010
Gangs 101:
Recognizing and
Understanding
Youth Gangs
Washington School Counselor Association Conference
February 2010
on the Rise
o
on the Rise
o
Tyson Vogeler, Program Supervisor
Washington State School Safety Center
1
3/8/2010
on the Rise
o
Gangs can be hard to recognize . . .
o
on the Rise
unless you know what you are looking for.
Students reporting gang membership doubled
between 2002 and 2006
HealthyYouthSurvey:
selfreportedgangmembership
10
9
PercentofSttudents
8
7
6
2002
5
4
2004
3
2006
2
2008
1
0
Grade8
Grade10
Grade12
SurveyYear
on the Rise
o
What is a street gang?
• Common definition:
o 3 or more persons
o Engage in criminal activity
collectively
o Identifiable leadership
o Ongoing relationship
o Common signs, symbols, or
colors
o
o
o
Exclusivity
Turf or territory
Typical age 14-24 years
RCW 28A.600.455
2
3/8/2010
on the Rise
o
Why do kids join gangs?
• Searching for belonging
and acceptance
• Exploring self-identity
• Seeking excitement
and activities
• Money, girls, drugs,
friends love
friends,
• Emotional trauma
Kids don’t run to gangs. They are
running away from something else.
-- Father Greg Boyle, noted gang expert
on the Rise
o
on the Rise
o
Cultural Influences
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Music
Movies
Magazines
Internet
Video Games
Peers
Family
Multi-Generational
Gangs
• Children raised in a
gang culture
• Gangs become the
“norm” for youth
• Washington has
third-generation
gang families
• Older siblings
• Children emulating
gang behaviors
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3/8/2010
on the Rise
o
Cultural Influences
The History of Gangs
The History of Gangs
Celtics’ Paul Pierce was fined $25,000 for throwing up a
gang hand sign (Piru) at a loud spectator in 2008.
Gangs have been around
a long time . . .
• Immigrants formed gangs
in the late 1800s for
protection
• Earliest Chicago gangs
in 1940s (Latin Kings and
Black P Stones)
• First California Hispanic
gangs in 1940s
• Chicago gangs expanded
in the 1960s and 1970s
Gangs have been around
a long time . . .
• California “black” gangs
formed in 1960s
• Expansion and migration
of LA black gangs in
1980
1980s
• Expansion of Hispanic
gangs in late 1980s and
early 1990s
• Evolution of hybrid gangs
since late 1990s
4
The History of Gangs
3/8/2010
Washington’s gangs were originally imported from other areas,
and more recently have been gangs that develop locally.
“All is one.”
Gang Org
ganization
Gang Org
ganization
“All is well.”
Dress “left”
Bloods
Latin Kings
Vice Lords
Dress “right”
Crips
Gangster Disciples
Surenos
La Raza
Girls in Gangs
• About 10% of gang members are girls
• Female gang activity is on the increase
• Girls are usually “sexed”
into the gang
• Some all-girl gangs
• Forced prostitution
is common
• Girls can be very
violent, and do
carry weapons
5
3/8/2010
“Black” Street Gangs
“Black” S
Street Gangs
“Black” S
Street Gangs
•
•
•
•
•
•
Crips
Bloods
Piru
Hoover Criminals
Black Gangster Disciples
Vice Lords
• California Street Gang
• Associated with Folk Nation
• Turf-oriented, active in drug traffic
• Origins:
o Los Angeles
o 1970s
o Compton HS
• Rivals:
o
Bloods, Latin Kings,
Vice Lords
• Identifiers:
o Color Blue (primary)
o Also Light Blue, Gray,
White, Purple
o May dress “left”
o Letter “C”
o Six-pointed star
o Number 6
o “Sox” hats
6
“Black” S
Street Gangs
“Black” S
Street Gangs
“Black” S
Street Gangs
3/8/2010
• Identifiers:
o Pitchforks “up”
o Don’t write “CK”
o Examples –
“write bacc”
“write bak”
Word “slob” or
“sloop” as a
put-down to Bloods
Graffiti includes “BK”
o
o
o
o
• California Street Gangs
• Associated with People Nation
• Turf-oriented, active in drug
traffic
• Origins:
o Los Angeles
o 1970s
o Response to
Crip gang
o Piru is a subset or
a separate gang
• Identifiers:
o Colors Red (primary)
o Also Burgundy, Green, Brown,
Tan
o Letter “B” or “UBN”
o Word “damu”
o Number 031 (“I
( I am blood”)
blood )
o Boston Red Sox Hats
o Local sets may
use other letters
o Tattoos – blud or MOB
are common
7
“Black” S
Street Gangs
“Black” S
Street Gangs
“Black” S
Street Gangs
3/8/2010
• Identifiers:
o Five-pointed star
o Cross out letter “C”
o Replace “C” with “B”
(example “class” becomes
“blass”)
o Graffiti may include
“CK” or “Crab”
o Pitchforks “down”
o May dress “right”
• California Street Gang
• Originally “Hoover Crips” but now a
separate gang
• Continued allegiance to Crips and
Folk Nation
• Origins:
• Los
L A
Angeles
l
• Hoover Avenue
• Identifiers:
o Colors Orange and Blue
o Letter “H”
o Number 74 or 52
o “H” handsign
o Otherwise similar
to Crips
8
“Black” S
Street Gangs
“Black” S
Street Gangs
“Black” S
Street Gangs
3/8/2010
• Chicago Street Gang
• Associated with Folk Nation
• Origins:
o 1960s
o Two gangs joined
to form BGDN
o Black Disciples (BD)
broke off from BGD
o “Growth and Development”
(1990s)
• Identifiers:
o Colors Black, Blue
o Also Grey, White
o Letters “BGD” or “GD” or
“G”
o Pitchforks “up”
up
• Identifiers:
o Six-point stars
o Number 360
o Number 274 or 74
o
o
o
Pitchfork Hand signs
O kl d R
Oakland
Raider
id
attire
Chicago Bulls
attire (also worn by other
gangs)
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3/8/2010
Hispanic / Latino
Street Gangs
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Surenos
18th Street
Florencia 13
Brown Pride
Nortenos
Mara Salvatrucha
Latin Kings
Latino Ga
angs
Surenos
• “Southerners” in Spanish
• Sureno gang is an “umbrella”
• Associated with Mexican Mafia
o “La Eme” prison gang
o Local gangsters are
“foot soldiers”
o Local
L
l gangs may pay ttaxes
to La Eme
Latino Ga
angs
Surenos
• Origins:
o LA Latino gangs
since 1900
o Maravilla Gangs (1930s)
o Zoot Suit Riots (1940s)
o Mexical Mafia (1960s)
o Sureno
S
alliance
lli
iin
Los Angeles (1960s)
o South of Bakersfield
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3/8/2010
Latino Ga
angs
Surenos
• Identifiers:
o Color Blue
o Number 13 or X3 or XIII
o Words “south” or “Sur”
o “trece” and 3 dots
o Replace “e” with “3”
o Eyebrow slashes
o Letter “M” or “S”
o Tattoos
• Rivals:
o
Nortenos, People
• Call Nortenos “buster”
or “sodbuster”
Latino Ga
angs
18th Street Gang
• 18th Street Gang
• Under Sureno umbrella
• Area of Origin:
– Los Angeles, CA
• Colors and number:
– Black, Grey, and Blue
– Number 18
• Rival: Nortenos and
Florencia
Latino Ga
angs
Florencia 13
• Florencia Gang
• Under Sureno umbrella
• Area of Origin:
o Los Angeles
o
o
1950s
Florence Ave.
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3/8/2010
• Identifiers:
o Color Blue
o Number 13
o “Effe” and “Effe 13”
• Rivals:
o
Nortenos
o 18th Street
Latino Ga
angs
Latino Ga
angs
Latino Ga
angs
Florencia 13
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3/8/2010
Latino Ga
angs
Brown Pride
• Brown Pride
• Members may deny “gang”
membership
• Identifiers:
– Brown and Blue/Red
– Number
N b 13/14
– Letters BP
• Rivals: Depends on alliance
Nortenos
Latino Ga
angs
• “Northerner” in Spanish
• Associated with the
Nuestra Familia
prison gang
• Identify strongly with
Mexican heritage
• Area of Origin:
o
North of Bakersfield
o
1960s (Tennis shoe war)
• Rivals:
o Surenos
Latino Ga
angs
Nortenos
• Identifiers:
o Color Red
o Number 14 or XIV or X4
o Letter “N”
o “Norte”
o Tattoos
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3/8/2010
• Identifiers:
o Huelga Bird
o UNLV attire
o NorCal references
o NFL and NBA attire
o Cross out letter “S”
o 5-point
p
star
• Call Surenos “skrapa”
or “SuRat”
Latino Ga
angs
Latino Ga
angs
Nortenos
Latin
/
Latino Ga
angs
Queens
• Originally Puerto Rican gang
• Associated with
People Nation
• Area
A
off Origin:
Oi i
– Chicago
– 1940s
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3/8/2010
Latino Ga
angs
Latino Ga
angs
Identifiers:
• Colors Yellow (Gold)
and Black
• 5-pointed crown
• Lion’s Head
(the lion King)
• Number 5
• 5-pointed star
• Identifiers:
o Number 360
o Pitchforks down
o ALKN or ALQN
o “Amor de rey”
• Rivals:
o
Crips
o
Surenos
o
Folk Nation
Hybrid Gangs and
Other Groups
•
•
•
•
•
•
Asian Gangs
Native American Gangs
p
“Gangs”
g
East European
Insane Clown Posse
Straight Edge
Tagger Crews
15
Hybrid & Other Gangs
Asian Gangs
Hybrid & Other Gangs
Asian Gangs
Hybrid & Other Gangs
3/8/2010
• Origins in California
o
Tiny Rascal Gang (TRG)
Asian BoyZ
Usually ethnically restricted
o
•
• More loosely organized,
y hybrid
y
gangs
g g
mostly
• Highly Mobile (nomadic)
• Not turf-oriented
• Tend to be low-profile
• Indicators:
• Colors green, black,
blue, red, purple
• Cultural tattoos (dragons)
• 5 dot tattoos ((like dice))
• Burns
• Scars (intentional)
Asian Gangs
• Indicators:
• 4 or 5 “Ts”
(love, money, prison,
crime, revenge)
• Cultural tattoos (dragons, eagles,
etc.)
• Oakland A’s hats
• Crip or Blood indicia
16
Hybrid & Other Gangs
Hybrid & Other Gangs
Hybrid & Other Gangs
3/8/2010
Native American Gangs
• Growing problem on reservations
and nearby communities
• Tend to be unstructured
and informal
• May use LA gang names
• Presence
P
iin allll
Washington
reservations
Native American Gangs
Insane Clown Posse
• A rap group that performs hardcore
music termed “horrorcore”
• Known for dark &
violent lyrics
• Followers called
Juggalos and
Juggalettes
• Accept use of
alcohol, drugs,
tobacco, and
promiscuous sex
17
Hybrid & Other Gangs
Hybrid & Other Gangs
Hybrid & Other Gangs
3/8/2010
Insane Clown Posse
I stab people like everyday folks
skinny people any people I chop off their throats
My stabbin's are ninja like very quickly, hey
by the time you feel it I'm like 3 blocks away
I stabbed the newspaper guy and took his little truck
now I stab people and drive away I'm like puttputtputtputt
I love waffle house, I stab people there
their so shitty and dumpy they don
don'tt even care
I love stabbin' people, def leopard remember them
when I cut their fuckin drummers are off, you can ask'em
Insane Clown Posse
• Don’t see themselves as a gang
• Little group structure,
members see themselves
as individuals
• Can be a gang by definition
• Found across the country
• More urban / suburban
• May be violent – known to
carry hatchets / axes
• Identifiers:
• “hatchet man”
• face paint
Insane Clown Posse
• May 2006: Jacob Robida (18) killed several
persons in a Massachusetts gay bar using first
a hatchet and then a handgun. His MySpace
page indicated was a juggalo and fan of ICP
and follower of the “Dark Carnival”
• June 2006: Juggalos armed with axes and
machetes, attacked visitors to Fort Steilacoom
Park in Tacoma
Tacoma. They injured nearly two
dozen people, and threatened to decapitate
them.
• May 2008: An arson investigation in
Spanaway revealed ICP graffiti.
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Hybrid & Other Gangs
Hybrid & Other Gangs
Hybrid & Other Gangs
3/8/2010
Straight Edge
• Associated with hardcore punk rock
music and anarchy
• Name coined by band “Minor Threat”
• Follow a “clean” lifestyle – No drugs,
alcohol, tobacco
• Not a “gang” per se but may fit the
definition
• Have engaged in criminal activity with
ELF and Animal Liberation Front
Straight Edge
"I'm a person just like you
But I've got better things to do
Than sit around and fuck my head
Hang out with the living dead
Snort white shit up my nose
Pass out at the shows
I don't even think about speed
That's something
I just don't need
I've got the straight edge"
Straight Edge
• Militant Straight Edge followers in
1990s were violent, but have
diminished
• Likely vegan
• Identifiers:
• Letter
L tt “X” or “XXX”
• Black Bandanas
• Long sideburns,
short hair
• Piercings
• Spike bracelets
• Florida State U (FSU)
“Fuck Shit Up”
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3/8/2010
Extremist Gangs and
Groups
•
•
•
•
•
Skinheads
Peckerwoods
Hammerskins
SHARPs
Others
Extremist Groups
Skinheads
• White supremacist groups
• Neo-nazi
• Anti-gay
• Anti-immigrant
•
•
•
•
• Anti-drug use
Origins
g
in Europe
p ((UK))
Multi-national distribution
Widespread in US
Militaristic, anarchist
Extremist Groups
Skinheads
• Violent, assaultive,
less “criminal”
• Actively recruit Caucasian
“fringe” and loner youth
• Raise children in the culture
• Multi-generational
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3/8/2010
Extremist Groups
Skinheads
• Identifiers:
• Shaved heads or
short haircuts
•
•
•
•
Swastikas
Confederate flag
Air Force flight jackets
Braces and boots
Extremist Groups
Skinheads
• Identifiers:
• Lightning bolts
• “14 words”
• Numbers 88 or 1488
• Greeting “Oi”
• “Skin” brand clothing
g
• Iron Cross
• Book “Skinhead
confessions,” TJ Leyden
“We must secure the existence of our people
and a future for white children."
Extremist Groups
Peckerwoods
• White supremacist
• Neo-nazi
• Concentrated in California
and southern US
• Females are called
“featherwoods”
• Identifiers:
• Woody woodpecker
• Swastikas and other
Nazi sybols
• Letters PW or APW
• Numbers 88, 16, 23
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3/8/2010
Extremist Groups
SHARPS
• Skin Heads Against Racial Prejudice
• NOT racist or neo-Nazi
• Recognize the bi-racial
origins of the skinhead
subculture
• Dress similar to
other
th Skinheads
Ski h d
• Will fight racist
Skinheads
Extremist Groups
Hammerskins
• Neo-Nazi, etc.
• Originated in Dallas, TX
• Name comes from a Pink
Floyd song on The Wall
• Identifiers:
• Crossed Hammers
• Confederate flags
• Nazi symbols: swastikas,
iron cross, Celtic cross
• Number 88
• HFFH
• Otherwise similar to Skinheads
Extremist Groups
Hammerskins
• Identifiers:
• Nazi symbols: swastikas,
iron cross, Celtic cross
•
•
•
•
Number 88
HFFH
WP (White Power)
Otherwise similar
to Skinheads except
dress
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3/8/2010
Courtesy Officer M. Roberge, Spokane PD
Extremist Groups
In Washington . . .
Extremist Groups
In Grays Harbor County . . .
Extremist Groups
Other Neo-Nazi Groups
Aryan Nation
Volksfront
White
Aryan
Resistance
Nazi Lowriders Aryan Brotherhood
23
3/8/2010
Gangs in Schools
Dealing with Gangs in
Schools
Responses to Gang
Problems
Suppression
Policing
Incarceration
Dress Codes
Zero Tolerance rules
Suspension / Expulsion
Intervention
Counseling
School support
Drug/alcohol treatment
Employment
p y
p
programs
g
Diversion programs
Prevention
Family support
Academic support
After-school programs
Youth activities
Gangs in Schools
Traditional Gang Response
“We can’t arrest our way out of this problem.”
Chief Gil Kerlikowski --
Suppression
Intervention
Prevention
Cost: High
Success: Low
Relative Cost: High
24
Gangs in Schools
3/8/2010
Gangs in Schools
A Preventive Gang Response
A public health perspective emphasizes prevention and intervention.
Suppression
Intervention
Prevention
Cost: Moderate to High
Success: High
Relative Cost: Low or Moderate
Risk and Protective Factors
Risk Factors
Risk Factors
Low academic success (SpEd)
Problem behaviors
School discipline history
Low school attachment
Gangs in community
Gang-involved
g
peers / family
p
y
Defiant character
External locus of control
Poor family management
Alcohol / Drug use
Delinquency
Single-parent homes
Emotional trauma / abuse
Hopelessness
Protective Factors
Strong school attachment
Extended academic support
Positive adult relationships
Strong parents and family
Internal locus of control
Extracurricular activities
Long-term goals (hope)
Strong school leadership
(rules)
Pro-social opportunities
Employment
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3/8/2010
Risk Factors
Individual Risk Factors
•
•
•
•
Prior delinquency
Deviant attitudes
Street smartness, toughness
Defiant, individualistic character
• Fatalistic view of world
• Aggression
• Proclivity for excitement and trouble
Individual Risk Factors
Risk Factors
• “Normlessness” in family,
peers, and school
• Social disabilities
•
•
•
•
•
•
Illegal gun ownership
Precocious sexual activity
Al h l and
Alcohol
dd
drug use
Drug trafficking
Desire for group rewards
Problem behaviors – hyperactivity,
externalizing,
lack of refusal skills
Early Signs of Gang Association
“School attendance is the first thing affected by gang membership.”
Risk Factors
-- National Center for School Engagement
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Attendanceproblems
Academicdecline
g (
,
p )
Behavioralchanges(defiance,disrespect)
Changeinstyleofdress
Tattoos
Schooldetachment
Ganginvolvedpeers(changeinfriends)
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3/8/2010
Gangs in Schools
Style vs. Gang Clothing
• Popular styles emulate
gang clothing
• Clothing is usually not
a definitive indicator
• “Gang-like” does not
equal “gang associated”
• Dress
D
codes
d can prohibit
hibit
items that may be
disruptive
• Policy or rules must not be
overly vague
• Statute limits ability to suspend
for “gang activity”
• Uniforms are a best practice
<5%
50-80%
Hard-Core
Adult Gangsters
Youth Gang Leaders
Youth Gang Members
Youth Associates
Youth Recruits
Emulators
10-30%
Gang Interest
No Gang Association
Percent of Population
on the Rise
o
Gangs in Sc
chools
If it looks like a duck, is it a duck?
27
3/8/2010
Gangs in Schools
Safe School Environment
• “Gang neutral” vs. “gang free”
• Gang symbols threaten safety
• Remove graffiti immediately
(photograph and catalog first)
• Warning signs:
o Crossed out graffiti
o Increasing graffiti
o Number 187
o Letter “K”
o
o
Drive by activity
Mass absence
Resources
Resourc
ces
General Gang and Hate Group Knowledge:
• Know Gangs: www.knowgangs.com
• Gangs or Us: www.gangsorus.com
• National Gang Center: www.nationalgangcenter.gov
• Street Gangs: www.streetgangs.com
(mostly LA, but good information since our gangs come from California)
• Into the Abyss:
htt //f
http://faculty.missouristate.edu/M/MichaelCarlie/
lt
i
i t t d /M/Mi h lC li /
(a scholarly online book about gangs)
• StrHATE Talk: www.strhatetalk.com (hate group info)
Regional Gangs:
• Northwest Gangs: www.nwgangs.com
(lists of regional sets, collections of photos)
Resources
Resourc
ces
Recommended Books:
• Luis Rodriguez. Always Running
• William Dunn. The Gangs of Los Angeles
• Al Valdez. A Guide to Understanding Street Gangs
• TJ Leyden. Skinhead Confessions
Gang and Hate Group Forums:
• Know Gangs:
http://www.knowgangs.com/forum
• The Hood Up: www.thehoodup.com
(gangsters talk about gangs – warning: language is graphic)
Gang Clothing:
• Zazzle: www.zazzle.com
(site that sells “low pro” clothing for gangs and hate groups)
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3/8/2010
ThankYou!!
For more information on the Gangs in Schools Task
Force, or gangs in Washington, contact:
TysonVogeler
ProgramSupervisor
WashingtonStateSchoolSafetyCenter
P.O.Box47200
Ol
Olympia,WA975047200
i WA 97504 7200
3607254479
tyson.vogeler@k12.wa.us
www.k12.wa.us/safetycenter
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