Pages from a “Gang Knowledge Book” 031 = LOVE FOR BLOOD CODE MEANING 31 I’M BLOOD 031 LOVE FOR BLOOD 404 SEND MONEY Taken from students that had displayed gang like activities… basically the dictionary for graffitti and gang signs Courtesy of K. Ferguson Kelly, STG-A

GANG NAME : AFFILIATION: ETHNICITY: SYMBOLS: AKA: COLORS: SAYING: BLACK GANGSTER DISCIPLES FOLKS MOSTLY BLACK UPWARD CROSSED PITCHFORK AND SIX POINT STAR BGD /  BGDN / BGDs / SUPREME GANGSTERS BLUE AND BLACK David Barksdale

Dirty White Boys 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. 9 9

Lets Look at the Stereotypes….. 11 11

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. 13 13

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. 14 14

Video Clip “IT’s YuR Life” 15 15

Why do you think they join??? Discussion….. 17 17

Factors that contribute to Youth joining Gangs… POVERTY Desire to Gain Wealth Desire to gain power Lack of Family Support /involvement Desire to gain acceptance Desire for protection Peer Pressure Desire to gain acceptance Desire to gain power Fear Desire for protection 18 18

by their family, school, or environment. 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. 19 19

To become a gang member one must 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. ( They don’t want a member to run at the first sign of trouble or one who whines about what his/her order or instructions are) To become a gang member one must “put in work" 20 20

Initiation Methods Beat in or “jumped in” Armed Robbery Drive by shooting Assault Rape Blessed in Sexed in Murder 21 21

Initiation cont.. Female Initiations Male 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. 22 22

Wannabe vs. Gonnabe “One of the easiest mistakes that occurs is not intervening when warning signs present themselves. This is commonly due to a dismissive attitude towards the subject/group and a lack of understanding of the issue. If a subject represents themselves as a gang member, has the needed mindset and “wants to be” a gang member then they are most likely “going to be” a member. These subjects can not be overlooked and present the best opportunity for intervention techniques. Never use the term, “Wannabe”, as it trivializes the real issue and may result in a greater effort by the group/subject to prove their status. 23 23

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. 24 24

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. 25 25

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. 26 26

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Gang Signs and Symbols 28 28

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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 31 31

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 32 32

Carries or expresses a desire for weapons such as: guns knives 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 33

PANEL DISCUSSION

Tips to Preventing Youth from What Can Schools Do? Tips to Preventing Youth from Joining Street Gangs 35 35

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 36 36

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. 37 37

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! 38 38

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. 39 39

It is the totality of identifiers… 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… 40 40