Pages from a “Gang Knowledge Book”
031 = LOVE FOR BLOOD
CODE
31
031
404
MEANING
I’M BLOOD
LOVE FOR BLOOD
SEND MONEY
Courtesy of K. Ferguson Kelly, STG-A
GANG NAME :
AFFILIATION:
ETHNICITY:
SYMBOLS:
AKA:
COLORS:
SAYING:
BLACK GANGSTER DISCIPLES
FOLKS
MOSTLY BLACK
David Barksdale
UPWARD CROSSED PITCHFORK AND SIX
POINT STAR
BGD / BGDN / BGDs / SUPREME GANGSTERS
BLUE AND BLACK
This gang is not affiliated with any White supremacy groups..members tend
to be white males who feel they do not fit in with Caucasian community
because they were raise around minorities, but also feel rejected by
minorities for being white.
MS-13
MS-13~Mara Salvatrucha

Colors-Blue and White

Wear gang-related tattoos visibly on body

Ages range from 11 to 40 years old

Named after “La Mara”, street in

El Salvador and “13th Street” in Los Angeles.


They have no structural leadership, but they are
organized into cliques.
MS-13 members are moving to the United States
because of laws against gangs in other countries.
Lets Look at the
Stereotypes…..
SURENOS 13
Stereotypes that are not true…

Gang members are all males…. violent, addicted to drugs
and confrontational.

They are all African American or Hispanic.

They are ignorant and uneducated and poor.

They thrive in the inner city neighborhoods.

They only prey upon other gangs.

The deal heavily with drugs, especially crack.

ALL gang members wear colors

Gangs are ONLY criminal enterprises.
Stereotypes that are true…






The connection between gangs and drugs is as strong as
believed.
It is not as difficult as believed for youth to refuse to join a
gang.
Gang members often leave their gang with serious
consequences.
More gangs are in suburban areas , small towns, and rural
areas than in the past.
There is more gang presence in school today than in the past.
White gangs are more prevalent among teens gangs
than in the past.
Why do you think they join???
Discussion…..
Factors that contribute to
Youth joining Gangs…
Lack of Family
Support
/involvement
Peer
Pressure
Desire to
Gain Wealth
Desire to
gain
acceptance
Desire to
gain
acceptance
Desire to
gain power
Desire to
gain power
Desire for
protection
Desire to
gain power
Desire for
protection
POVERTY
Fear
Youth join gangs for various reasons….
The overwhelming reason for most youth to join is
to meet a need that is not being fulfilled
by their family, school, or environment.
How Do Youth Join Gangs?
Initiation…..
A rite, ceremony, or instructions with which one is
made a member of a set or society, or is vested
with a particular function or status.
Initiation is used to determine if a potential
member is mentally and physically strong
enough to be worthy of membership.
To become a gang member one must
“put in work"
Initiation Methods

Beat in or “jumped in”

Armed Robbery

Drive by shooting

Assault

Rape

Blessed in

Sexed in

Murder
Initiation cont..
Female Initiations


Sexed in: A die is rolled
and the number rolled
determines the number of
sex partners the initiate
must accommodate.
Jumped in: This method
is becoming more
prevalent with female
gangs
Male Initiations


Jumped in: The initiate is
beaten by the other members
for an indeterminate amount
of time.
Blessed in: If deemed
worthy by the O.G., or
“Original Gangsta,” founder
or older member of a gang,
they are automatically
accepted.
Traditional Gang Attire
• 1. Beads: May be found on necklaces, key
chains, rosaries, and any other jewelry. The
colors found on the item can be linked to the
gang and the order of the beads may indicate
the subject’s status in the group and/or
activities they have engaged in.
• 2. Tattoos/Markings: May simply have the
gang’s name or symbols associated to the gang
(i.e. crowns, numbers, pitchforks, dots, etc).
Markings may be applied with pens or markers
to be easily removed and prevent detection by
parents, educators and law enforcement.
Traditional Gang Attire cont..
Clothing:
Colors are used to show association
with the gang. Apparel may have
numbers or acronyms related to
the group (Very common with
sports apparel). Clothing may
be altered to identify the gang.
Bandanas are the most
common piece of clothing
members use to represent the gang.
Traditional Gang Attire cont..
Personal Appearance/Grooming:
Hair styles and eyebrows may have covert numbers or symbols
(i.e. lines shaved in eyebrows or hair). Pants worn up on one leg,
hat tilted to a certain side and unusual hand gestures may also be
used.
Gang Signs
and Symbols
Warning Signs
Admits to hanging out with known gang members
Begins to have criminal involvement.
Shows a strong interest in one or two particular colors
of clothing, a particular logo, or odd clothing features
such as wearing the belt buckle to the right or left, or
cuffing one pant leg
Has an unusual interest in gangster-influenced music,
videos, movies or website materials
Uses unusual hand signals to communicate with
friends
Has specific drawings or gang symbols on school
books, clothes, walls or wants a very specific tattoo
Has unexplained physical injuries (fight-related
bruises or wounds)
Has unexplained cash or goods, including
clothing or jewelry
Has been in trouble with the police or at school
Exhibits negative changes in behavior such as:
Withdrawing from family
Declining attendance at school
Declining performance or increase in negative
and/or disruptive behaviors (ISS / OSS)
Staying out late without good reason or
permission
Desire for secrecy
Signs of drug use
Breaking rules consistently or suddenly using
gang-style slang
Carries or expresses a desire for weapons such
as:
 guns
 knives
 baseball bats
 brass knuckles
 rolled coins
PANEL DISCUSSION
What Can Schools Do?
Tips to Preventing Youth from
Joining Street Gangs
Tips

Spend quality time with students

Keep students involved in school activities

Be a positive role model and set the right example



Encourage good study habits and academic
excellence, tutor students…give help as needed.
Get to know your students friends and their
parents and keep an open line of communication.
Provide job training, internship opportunities
Tips


Encourage participation in positive after-school
activities with adult supervision, organized sports,
and youth groups.
Make anger management, conflict resolution and
stress management for students
• Teach your child how to cope with peer pressure
and help them develop good conflict resolution
skills.

Be proactive and ask questions.
Be Proactive…….
The first step of action, is to get out of the “Denial
Syndrome”!
When the first signs of gang involvement are present staff
need to intervene.
Get a “Plan of Action” for each suspected gang affiliated
youth and document in their file.
Get a “Plan of Action” to deal with general gang problems
TEAMWORK!
Remember….
Membership in a gang in itself is not illegal
One indicator or a combination of many does
not automatically mean a subject is member of a
criminal street gang.
Enforcement of all school policies (i.e. Dress code violations)
should be done equally and be based on the subject’s
actions and not their possible affiliations.
The best defense for preventing a child from joining a gang starts at Home.
This presentation was designed to create
awareness for your school and staff.
When making observations you should
understand that one sign, symbol or color of
clothing does not identify a gang member.
It is the totality of identifiers…