What Can I Do?Discovering your child is involved in a gang can come as a shock and when a child joins a gang the entire family is affected. However, there are things you can do and help is available.
Talk calmly with your child. Ask if he or she is in a gang and why. Ask questions to determine the level of involvement. Actively listen in a caring and non-judgmental way. Recognize that gang membership is not just the child's problem. It is the family's problem as well. Do not try to tackle the problem by yourself. There are many agencies and community resources available to help you in removing your child from a gang's influence. Resources to consider contacting are: Local police gang unit School resource officer School Counselor Social service agencies Clergy Counselors The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention has created a parents resource guide which contains information on behaviors associated with joining gangs, common gang identifiers, and what parents can do. Click here to order A Parent's Guide To Gangs Additional Resources for Parents: How Parents Stop Teens Gang Involvement The Impact of Parents on Gangs The Reasons Kids Join Gangs A Gang's Effect on Kids |
IF YOU NEED HELP GETTING YOUR CHILD OUT OF A GANG, PLEASE CALL 385-468-9773
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