Learn About Gangs

Young people (as young as nine or ten) join gangs for reasons that makes sense to them, if not to adults. They give reasons like these:

- to belong to a group
- for excitement
- to get protection
- to earn money
- to be with friends

Gangs leave signs of their presence. Your child may adopt some of those signs as either a gang member or an imitator:

- specific colors or emblems
- special hand signals
- gang symbols on walls as graffiti or on books or clothing
- major and negative behavior changes, such as:

- worse grades,
- staying out without good reason
- "hanging" with known or suspected gang members
- carrying weapons

- wearing certain kinds and colors of clothing in very specific ways
- possessing unexplained, relatively large sums of money.