COMMUNITY (INTERNATIONAL) Create 5 Solutions to the Problem of Gang Violence in Santa Cruz Bolivia POLICY LEVELS PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT COMMUNITY (INTERNATIONAL) INTERPERSONAL INDIVIDUAL

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT: POLICY LEVELS: *Social violence like domestic violence, violence at schools or neighbourhood struggles can be tackled by local authorities through a package of urban upgrading and violence prevention programmes. *Strengthen activities that prevent, counter, and control factors associated with crime and violence in urban areas. *Law enforcement and educators need to work together to develop the necessary tools and materials to educate parents and the society about gangs which is necessary and critical if the growth of gangs is to be curbed. *The most fruitful strategies for dealing with gangs are those which emphasize prevention and intervention instead of suppression and enforcement. *Prosecution must be directed at the crime, not the social group. A war on gangs hurts the working poor who live in the neighbourhood and are humiliated and harassed by it. Furthermore, it arouses people's outrage and further prejudices society against them. PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT: *Provide youths with accurate information about alcohol and drugs. *Teach youths how to say "no" to drugs while providing alternatives to drug use. *Teach youths decision-making skills and about the consequences of their behaviour. *Build youths' self-esteem, and teach them to resist peer pressure. *Schools today should have strict dress codes to prevent the wearing of gang colours. Schools should also increase security and close their campuses to limit gang members from recruiting students. In some instances, schools use metal detectors to screen weapons at outdoor stadiums and after- school sporting events.

COMMUNITY (INTERNATIONAL): INTERPERSONAL: *Community-based providers and educators need to work together with Law enforcement and educators to develop the necessary tools and materials to educate parents about gangs which is necessary and critical if the growth of gangs is to be curbed. *Society's resources must be realigned in a way that respects the humanity of all people, and that addresses the inequities (injustice, unfairness) that give rise to violence. *Society's resources must be realigned in a way that respects the humanity of all people, and that addresses the inequities that give rise to violence. The first step, then, becomes one of supporting young people who are trying (the other 90 plus percent who live in these destructive environments). *A prevention program directed at elementary students in six inner city schools, included drug/gang policy awareness, drug and gang prevention education, racial and cultural sensitivity development, after school alternative programs, tutoring and mentoring, community service opportunities for kids, career awareness instruction, and parent education. *Programs like this can be greatly assisted by parents who might contribute a bit of time and energy for free. After all, it might very well be they who need the programs most for their own youngsters, themselves, or their neighbourhood. INTERPERSONAL: *Parents must be educated on how to spot the signs of gang association and how to work with their children to make gangs seem less glamorous. *Training in parental skills gives these parents the knowledge and ability to help their children stay out of trouble. *The information provided to them must be balanced with helpful, hopeful strategies that they can use to turn their children away from gangs. * Parents must teach their children that joining a gang can ruin lives; lead to criminal records; and, ultimately, to prison. *Parents need to recognize the signs that their child is involved in a gang and seek the appropriate intervention and families need help to deal with their children who are at risk of joining gangs.

INDIVIDUAL: *Slowly stop dressing like a member. Get rid of your bandannas, sagged jeans, whatever clothing you have to show you're in that gang, but keep your weapon with you at all times. *Come up with good excuses. After a while, fellow members will ask you why you haven't been posting it up, answering your phone, wearing your bandanna, etc. Come up with an excuse like that a friend or loved one is sick or in hospital, you're helping a friend move, someone stole your bandanna, anything that seems probable and likely to have occurred. You don't want them suspicious. *Isolate yourself from the gang. Take public transportation if you don't have a car instead of walking and avoid popular joints where the gang kicks it. Out of sight, out of mind. *Don't tell anyone from the gang your plans of leaving, EVER!!! Fellow gang members can never be fully trusted. There are rules against keeping secrets from the guys on top, so if someone finds out dirt about you, they will most likely snitch. If your "friend" who you told snitches on you, you most likely will get punished, jumped or killed. *If you have a gun, or weapon, hold it tight. Your house could be invaded, you could get jumped, or you could even get caught up in a drive-by at anytime. You need to protect yourself, and family if you have one. Invest in anyone you know who can protect you from such things, anything is better than nothing. *Move. It may sound drastic, but so is gang life. If they find out you slipped through their fingers, they will find you and kill you, and even your family. Stay with a relative from another state, until all the heat cools down. Stay in that state if possible, since gang members most likely don't know the addresses of your relatives. *Stay out of sight. Don't ever come back to the hood for whatever reason. They could have forgotten about you, or they might still be looking for you, you never know. They will be mad, and will be ready to do what needs to be done to punish you. It's not worth returning. *Never have contact with the gang members that you knew ever again. If you really want to get out of the gang you should stop every contact with the gang members you know, never contact them back after you moved, EVER.