INSIDE
OUT
2013 Dropout Prevention Conference
Mississippi Department of Education
Office of Dropout Prevention
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
1:15 pm – 2.:15 pm a discussion about the presence, prevalence and influence of gangs in public schools
Presented by:
Millicent D. West
West and Associates, LLC

 Gangs are present in many schools in the United States. The
National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse
XV: Teens and Parents, released in August 2010 by the
National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse reported the following:
 45% of high school students say that there are gangs of students who consider themselves to be a part of a gang in their schools.
 35% percent of middle-school students say that there are gangs or students who consider themselves to be part of a gang in their schools.
 Gang members do not leave their conflicts, attitudes and behaviors outside the school doors. Some of the most dangerous gang activities in any community may take place in and around local schools.
NCASA at Columbia University, 2010

 Many schools have operated like islands in the larger community, with school administrators and staff believing that they are immune to community problems and deny that there is a gang presence in their schools.
 5% of principals reported the presence of gangs in their schools
 36% reported the presence of gangs in the immediate community
 For many school administrators, public admission that the school has a population of gang members might seem like a failure to properly control the school climate.
Failing to adequately address gang problems can lead to increased risk of victimization in the school setting for both students and staff members.
Arciaga, Sakamoto & Jones, 2010)

Gangs can be found in schools for many reasons, but the primary attraction is their ability to respond to student needs not currently being met.
Four crucial factors in the formation of gangs:
 Youth experiencing a sense of alienation and powerlessness because of a lack of traditional support structures such as family AND school.
 Gang membership gives youth a sense of power and control.
 Members believe that they are receiving the “benefits” of membership.
 Recruitment of new members and expansion of territory are essential if a gang is to remain strong and powerful

Conducting a comprehensive assessment of gang activity in and around the school is a critical piece of responding effectively to gangs. The assessment should consider:
 Local Demographics – What does the local community look like and has this changed over time?
 Crime and Law Enforcement Data – Law enforcement data can help to determine the level and extent of gang crime in the local community.
 Student and Staff Perceptions – What do school personnel and students think about gang activity in and around the school?
What gang behaviors are observed?
 Resources – What programs, staff, funding and resources are available to address gang problems in and around the school

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation
2011 National Gang Threat Assessment

Depending on the specific gang activity in a school or community gang identifiers MAY include:
 Tagging/Grafitti
 Unusual signs, symbols or writing on walls, notebooks, lockers, etc
 “Colors”
 Obvious or subtle colors of clothing, a particular clothing brand, jewelry, or haircuts
 Tattoos
 Symbols on arms, chest, or elsewhere on the body
 “Lit” (gang literature)
 Gang signs, symbols, poems, prayers, procedures in notebooks or other documents
 Initiations
 Suspicious bruises, wounds or injuries
 Hand signs
 Unusual hand signals or handshakes
 Behavior
 Sudden changes in behavior or secret meetings
 Acquiring new friends
 Disengaging from family

The Federal Bureau of Investigation repor ts that there are over 33,000 active gangs in the United States. Do you recognize any of these? Can any be found in the communities that you ser ve?
Bloods
Crips
Latin Kings
Black Disciples
Folk NatioN (“Folks”)
PeoPle NatioN (“PeoPles”)
War Lords
MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha)
Sex Money Murda
Aryan Brotherhood
Nortenos
Young Money
Young Squad Mafia
Dem Franchize Boyz
Gangster Disciples
Surenos 13
Lady Hit Squad
Imperial Gangsters
Vice Lords
AK 81
Yakuza
Jamaican Posse

TAKE YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE SAND…and after you do that:
 Gain Knowledge – Work to understand the dynamics
 Educate and Inform School Staff Members
 Provide Information and Support to Parents
 Offer Direct Help and Resources
 Advocate
 Collaborate and Network with Community Resources
 Partner With Law Enforcement
“ I n t h e 1 97 0 ’ s l e s s t h a n h a l f t h e s t a t e r e p o r t e d g a n g p r o b l e m s . B y t h e t u r n o f t h e 2 1 s t c e n t u r y, h o w e v e r, e v e r y s t a t e a n d t h e D i s t r i c t o f C o l u m b i a w e r e f a c i n g t h i s c h a l l e n g e ”
- S l o w i ko w s k i , 2 0 1 0

CONTACT INFORMATION
Washington, DC | Dallas. TX
202-681-7179 mdw@westandassoc.com
www.westandassoc.com