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 3 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) 9 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 10 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. 11 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 12 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 13 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 14 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. 18 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” 19 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 20 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 21 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 22 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 25 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) 26 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) 28 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 29