gangsinourschools.com/blog

     Welcome to a new post on gang issues in education. I had recent contact with one of my readers who asked me a simple question pertaining to gang members. The question she posed to me was quite simply why? As in why would a child ever want to join a gang?

     Her question was one that got me thinking about all the factors which would compel a child to contemplate being a part of a gang. Just to outline the many variables involved in quantifying the reasons would not suffice in an arena such as this. But I will attempt to at least outline a few of them. And I do understand that this question has been sufficiently studied for quite a while now, as to offer some common answers. And once I outline some of these I am certainly going to chime in on how I feel about this issue.

     But before I do let us look at some of  the commonalities that others’ research have answered, which I also concur with. I will attempt to outline some of these factors by what I believe is order of importance. With the first issue being the most relevant and so on down the line.

     First and foremost is the issue of home life, or lack of in this case, which plays an overwhelming roll in the overall decision. Many times what happens in the home pushes the child into the gangster lifestyle. Next comes protection and safety, which sadly, in some gang infested neighborhoods almost makes membership mandatory for survival.

     Another issue would be for socialization and acceptance, which the child may be lacking in other areas of their lives. And finally the lure of the danger and excitement often associated with being in a gang can also play a role in this decision. The way the gangster lifestyle is being portrayed now days in movies and music videos makes this lifestyle fascinating to many vulnerable children.

     But I believe there is one issue that super-cedes the above and plays the most significant role in the decision process. And it is one of the simplest  and most fundamental concepts inherent to all of us; money. If you can imagine a scenario in which a child is lacking the fundamentals for survival they will almost surely do whatever they can to aid in such survival.

     And if the lure of gang membership and its money offers just such an alternative for the escape of poverty, then the opportunity to jump at that avenue is to be expected. Sadly many of the members I encountered and taught to were in a position where any chance to earn some money, no matter the means, was just too irresistible.

     Although I realize I have only scraped the proverbial tip of the iceberg on this issue. You can get an in depth look at this and other problems pertaining to gang members in an educational setting by sending $19.95 plus $4.00 shipping and handling for a copy of my book, to P.O. Box 13591, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88013. 

     In addition, I have had many readers inquire as to how they can help with my cause without having to buy copy of my book. Not because they don’t want a copy of it but are so inclined to help me bring this issue to light. I’m not opposed to recieving donations to help in this endeavor, because quite frankly, it takes me hours of dedication to research and communication in order to bring you current information.

     Therefore, if you feel some of my posts have helped you in any way and you would like to send a donation to help me continue this forum, please feel free to send it to the above address. I can honestly say that any contribution would be highly appreciated.

     If you wish to discuss this or any other topic pertaining to gang members in your schools and classrooms you may contact me at: cabgil@aol.com.

     Thank you and come again for another post on gang issues in education.

Gilbert Cabrera

     Welcome to a new post on gang issues in education. It has indeed been a long time since I wrote. But my lack of a post is not because I stopped writing blogs, only that I have had little time. I suppose I could just spit something meaningless out. But then it just becomes blabbing instead of blogging and offering meaningful information that can be utilized.   

     Being a teacher in the classroom means that once the bell tolls at the start of the year it is continously non-stop action. I know I don’t have to tell many of my readers this as a majority of you are also working in the trenches as teachers. And I also know that in addition to your teaching duties, you will have to deal with gang members in your schools and classrooms.

     As if you do not have enough on your plate already, you now have a group of students who don’t care about their educations. I know it is easier to just give up on them and let them fend for themselves. But I believe as educators we should at least say we gave it a shot at teaching to them. And hopefully in the process they find something meaningful about their educational careers and will not become statistical drop outs.

     I know most people get into the teaching profession to make a difference in their students’ lives, so it would be a shame to give up on this population simply because they are a problem in your class. But if you have the skills to deal with a member effectively in your classroom it makes teaching to the class that much easier.

     And that is what I try to offer my readers here on this website. But the jest of my strategies are outlined in my book. The reason I offer this advice is because I feel it is extremely important to reach this population; after all they will eventually become citizens in our communities. And honestly, I would prefer they be productive tax paying citizens rather than drains on our already taxed system.      

     So I guess it comes down to the question of what can be done to effectively reach them. I wish there was a formula one could use that would instantly make you super teacher, able to reach all children with your magical powers. Unfortunately, this just isn’t the case, mainly because every student you come into contact with come from different home environments and all with very different needs. And to quote Forrest Gump, students truly are “like a box of chocolates, you never know what your gonna get.”

     My research shows that many wanna-be gang members are mandated to recruit as many of their peers as they can before they are kicked out of school. Because the goal of every wanna-be is to become a hardcore member. This includes doing anything that helps them achieve this goal. And I can assure you it is only a matter of time before these wanna-be’s are kicked out because of the many discrepancies they have caused in school. 

     But if there is one critical piece of advice I can give you in dealing with gang members it is this. No matter how much you think one trusts you, don’t be fooled into complacency with them. Because of their loyalty to the gang they will do whatever they have too to prove they belong to the gang. This includes causing harm to you in some way whether it be getting into your face or stealing something you own.   

     So I guess the million dollar question is; is there really a way to reach a member and hope they make a turn around in their lives? I say that they can be taught skills to help them cope with what is happening in their lives, but to truly have them be successful they must be totally removed from their predicaments. I have had this very discussion with many educators over the last few years. And I have to agree with many of them in that the short amount of time we are with students in the classroom will often not erase a life time of habits they have created.

     I suppose I could go on and on about this, but if you want a more comprehensive look at this issue please buy a copy of my book. I guarantee it will be the best $19.95 you’ve spent lately. And it goes without saying that if you are not completely satisfied with the strategies I offer, I will refund your purchase price plus your shipping cost at my expense.

     This is how much I believe this issue needs to be brought to the fore-front for educators. I believe we can not just sit around and wait for gangs to take over our educational systems by using them as fertile recruiting grounds without putting up some kind of resistance. And I truly believe information is the vital tool in dealing with gangs in our schools and classrooms.

     Thank you and please come again to another post on gang issues in education. If you need to contact me to discuss this or any other concerns you may be having related to gangs in your schools, you may do so at cabgil@aol.com.

Gilbert R. Cabrera

     Welcome back to a new post on gang issues in education. First, I would like to state that the tips I write about in dealing with gang members in the classroom I have used with success. In my last post I outlined some strategies in dealing with members at the initial start of the new school year.

     In this post I will address how to build up a members self esteem to the point that they will produce quality work for you. First, you must take into consideration that many factors are involved when you work with a gang member. Everything that they experience outside of the classroom will ultimately affect how they behave in class. Because so many factors are involved in their lives, it is sometimes very difficult to reach members and make learning for them meaningful.

     The next thing to understand is that many members have a negative view of education and are not likely to try very hard with their studies. Also take into consideration that aside from not wanting to be in school they are often targeted by staff and administration because of their gang affiliations. But initially try to put all of this aside until you get to know the member in question. You may be surprised to learn that they are quite intelligent and are often interesting to be around, as they come with a different perspective on life. This is where your opportunity to make their learning meaningful comes into play.   

     The first thing I do with all of my students is to assess where their writing skills lay by giving them an ungraded writing assignment. I find that by letting the students know the paper will not be graded allows them more freedom to experiment in their writing. For a member, it allows them to express themselves without the fear of being critiqued. This strategy allows me to assess where their skills are at because I can then find their strengths and weaknesses. I can then use this information to help me guide their learning by giving them lessons where their interests lie.

     I know it takes a lot of work to individualize lessons to a particular child, but in the long run I believe the effort is worth it if the child becomes actively involved in their learning. I believe this is the goal of every educator, getting the student to take ownership of their learning. I also feel it is extremely crucial in teaching to high risk students such as these.

     The next strategy I use is to praise the member on some aspect of their writing, but I always do this praise privately. I don’t want anyone to know, because most members do not want to be classified as a school boy. I know it would make matters worse if I publicly praised them and they will shut down, not the thing I’m looking for. But as with human nature we all want to be praised by our accomplishments. So this definitely starts them on the path of taking ownership of their learning.

     I know I could go on and on with effective strategies I have used with members in the classroom, and it would literally take page after page to outline them successfully. So instead, buy a copy of my book, which will give you more ways to deal with gang members in your classroom.

     If you need to contact me you can do so at: cabgil@aol.com.

     You can order a copy of my book by sending $19.95 + $4.00 S&H to P.O. Box 13591, Las Cruces, New Mexico. Please allow four to six weeks from the time you send the order off to receive your book.

Thanks and come again for another post on gang issues in education.

Gilbert

     Welcome back to a new post on gang issues in education. Now that all of my summer promotional efforts are over with, it’s now time for a new school year to begin. I know I have neglected writing gang teaching tips lately because I have been so busy, so it’s time for me to get back on track.

     And as this new school year begins for many of us one thing seems to remain a constant; identifying and knowing who the members are in your classroom. If you can accomplish this key at the beginning of the school year, it will give you the beginning tools you need to teach effectively to this population. Trust me, it is much easier teaching to members when they know that you know who they are.

     The best advice I can give you is for the first couple of weeks always keep an eye on the members no matter where you are in the classroom. That way when you can catch them signing, and you will eventually, you can subtly look at them briefly and give them a quick NO! nod of the head and then look away for a while. Don’t wait for a response from them just continue teaching as if nothing happened. This will elicit a couple of reactions from them.

     First they know that you know they did it but they will be somewhat confused because you didn’t make a big issue out of it. Later, after the students are engaged in group or other work, you can pass by their seat and discretely tell them what you saw and if they would please not do that in your room again. You may even want give them a couple of chances before you take corrective action. 

     And secondly, this allows the member to correct their behavior without being singled out in class or you having to be confrontational. Do tell them that if it happens again you will have to take the next step, but at least they can’t claim that you didn’t give them a chance. And believe it or not, many will respond positively to this technique because they now feel some kind of obligation to pay you back by helping you out with their behaviors.

     But by all means if the behavior continues do take the next step and let administration or your resource officer know, so the incidents can be documented. And don’t forget to keep documentation of these incidents for yourself to help back up your assertions. Of course, this rule also applies to all students you are having difficulty with, because documentation will always be your strongest ally.

    I know I could go on and on about this issue and I will probably add other tips to this post in the near future. But if you want to explore alternative options for teaching to gang members, you can buy a copy of my book by going to the the order information link and I’ll rush a copy out to you immediately.

     If you wish to contact me you may do so at: cabgil@aol.com 

Thanks and come again for another post on gang issues in education.

Gilbert

     Welcome back to a new post on gang issues in education.

     It has indeed been a while since I’ve written a post. In fact, right before I left for my presentation in Phoenix, AZ, to be exact. And so, in this post I want to extend a huge THANK YOU to the National Association of School Resource Officers (narso), and their event staff for the wonderful hospitality I received in Phoenix. I encountered nothing but professionalism and courtesy from everyone involved at the event.

     I would especially like to thank Ed for the initial contact, Pat for his continued support, Diane for keeping me constantly updated, and Janet for keeping in touch with me on post issues related to the conference, so I wish to publicly thank all of you.  

     I would also like to give a huge word of thanks to each and every one of you who attended one or both of my seminars. I know it takes a lot to go to these kind of classes and gain some knowledge of what is being presented. I hope you got as much out of the presentation as I did. I cannot tell you how much I learned from speaking to many of you about how street gangs are spreading nationwide. I’m glad I was able to meet so many professionals dedicated to school safety, because it shows that schools are taking a step in the right direction by having these professionals on campuses across the nation.

     Now, I wish to offer a special thank you to all of you who purchased a copy of my book. I hope you find the information contained within its covers to be beneficial. It was a pleasure meeting you and listening to your concerns on this issue. It was refreshing to talk to people who share a common interest in school safety. When you get a chance please drop me a line with your comments, I would love to post your review on this website.

     And finally, I would like to say I have added a new link to my resource page, and yes you guessed right, it is the nasro website. I know you will find they have a lot to offer as far as school safety is concerned. And I’m also sure you will find that working with the nasro staff to be efficient, courteous and most of all professional.

     Once your there please take a look at a copy of my power point presentation, which they generously posted on their website. You can get there easily by clicking on nasro in the resource link on the sidebar.

     If you wish to contact me with a review or concerns you may do so at cabgil@aol.com.

     Thank you and please visit again for more information on gang issues in education. 

Gilbert R. Cabrera

    Welcome to a new post on gang issues in education. First, I would like to add that my time is drawing near for my NASRO presentation on July 29th, and I’m really jazzed up about it. I am truly hoping to give the conference attendees another view on street gangs that they are not normally used to seeing; an educators point of view. I also hope that many of my readers will be able to make the trip to Phoenix, AZ, and attend the conference. It should be a fun time for all, and who knows you just might learn something new in the process. Anyway, now to the main part of this post.

     Since arriving back from my trip to Europe, I now understand the impact gangs have in that part of the world. It’s hard to believe that the gang issues are the same for them as they are for us here in the U.S.  Street gangs are truly global, which makes dealing with gangs here just that much more difficult. As I stated in my last post, because of mobility, many gangs here can be affected by a new member who comes from another part of the world, and may I add,  not in a positive manner.  

     As I further my studies on street gangs, I’m finding how interconnected gangs really are. The way they behave, as well as the way they show who they are; tags, graffiti, etc. are eerily similar. I guess kids will be kids anywhere in the world one travels. But is this really due to kids being kids or are other factors involved?

     I started to think to myself, why such similarities of street gangs. As far as I can tell the Western culture that we live in is definitely having an impact in other parts of the world. This, unfortunately, includes the bad influences we have here as well as the good. I wonder how much of the gang issue in Europe is influenced by our culture and especially what we show on television? I guess answering this question is another research topic in itself. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll be able to find the answer to this question. But for now I”ll just keep working on how street gangs impact the educational process here in the U.S.

     I would love to hear your comments on how our culture (Western culture) has an impact on street gangs in your part of the world, either from my readers here in the U.S., or some other place in the world. Please e-mail me your story, and one of my lucky readers will have their response published on this website. You can send your response to the e-mail address below.

     That’s all for now! Until my next post on gang issues in education; later.

 If you need to contact me about this or any other problems you may be having with gang members in your school, feel free to contact me via e-mail at cabgil@aol.com and I’ll be glad to try and offer you some solutions to help you deal with the problem.

Thank you and come again.

Gilbert

     Welcome to a new post of gang issues in education. In this post I am writing to you from the vast continent of Europe. In order to understand the impact of gangs in the United States, I felt that the impact of street gangs needs to also be studied from abroad. I feel that by understanding the impact of gangs in our educational system we need to know what impact gangs play in other countries and how they are dealing with the situation.

     One thing I can state for sure is that gangs are in just about every nook and cranny of most societies in the world, including Europe. I was shocked to learn that the tags we view in the U.S. also are a common theme in Europe, although the symbols are different, the tags I witnessed were similar compared to the states. You still have gangs that try to control an area as their turf by the use of tags and of course you also have the typical over-tagging done by other gangs to show they have control of the same turf. 

     So why am I doing this research? Mainly to see if the impact of gangs carry over into our country. What I am finding is that if you have a student who is in a gang coming from another country they will bring all their symbols and beliefs with them as well. And how they interact with gang members in the U.S. will dramatically affect the learning environment in our classrooms. So the first question that needs to be answered is why do children get jumped into a gang, and unlike children here in the U.S., it’s that sense of belonging we all need as human beings. So basically they are searching for the same things as an American child joining a gang.

     So do gangs members from other countries impact our educational system? I would state that they do, and I would also state that they do so in a negative manner. One of the reasons is if a member from another country gets in with a local gang, their way of tagging and how they interact with others will rub off on the host gang. And sadly, if the new member is a truly hardcore member they may make the host gang that much more violent.

     I guess the next question to be asked is if there is anything that can be done nationally to change how gangs move from one area to another? I would say the only real alternative is to have a national database that keeps track of identified gang members, available to law enforcement officials across the U.S. But I would not limit it to just here but maybe create a world database that could be accessed to help in this identification. I know this would be a huge task to undertake and some countries would not want to disperse this information for fear or retaliation from their local gangs.

     But to combat the problem of gang movement something must be done do get a grasp of how their movements are coordinated. What needs to be understood is that gangs are now using the Internet and other sources to become connected and this includes gangs from abroad. Because of this law enforcement officials also need to be connected, if anything to at least be kept abreast of  how gang movement is occuring. Trust me when I say that gangs are very adept at using such resources, even to the point of getting information from around the globe on how other gang interact with each other.

     I know many will be up in arms about such a database because it would infringe on a students rights. But I say a students looses their rights to privacy when they are using the internet to commit crimial activities, and being able to keep track of their movements would help in dealing with gangs on a national level.

     I could go on about this issue but I will save it for my next book. I know there is much to learn about gangs and their movements, but in doing this research I hope to shed some light on how street gangs affect our country nationally.

     So for now I bid you farewell and please come back for another post of gang issues in education. I hope to have a follow up post on this issue in the near future.

Thank you and come again for another post on gang issues in education. If you need to contact me you may do so at: cabgil@aol.com

Gilbert Cabrera

     Welcome to a new post on gang issues in education. Yes, it has been a long time since I have written anything on my blog page. And to my loyal readers and especially to those who have inquired as to why, I can only offer an apology. I have been so busy getting ready for my NASRO presentation as well as completing book order fulfillment, it has left little time to accomplish much else.

    I do realize that blog pages should be updated periodically, and I will continue to dispense pertinent information related to gangs in an educational setting. But sadly, I will probably only be able to do one or two posts a month, simply because every facet related to my book has picked up considerably. But I will still hold steadfast on my mission of giving away as much information as I can, as well as finding new and exciting links related to gangs in education. 

And now to the jest of this post.

GENERATIONAL GANG FAMILIES

     In all of my writing so far I have concentrated on the child’s role in gang interaction, but have negleted one very critical component in the equation; parents/guardians. Through my interactions with members I found that a majority of them were brought up in single family households. I also found that many were being raised by someone other than their biological parents, i.e. grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. 

     But what I found more alarming was the fact that quite a few of the truly hardcore gang members were generational. Which basically means that children of generational members are destined for gang life. Breaking the gang mentality and the cycle of gang activity of a child who witnesses such, first hand, is very difficult. The main challenge is defining if indeed a family meets the criteria of generational gang membership. And if defined how does society deal with them if they haven’t committed a crime?

     But I ask, shouldn’t this be construed as a crime, bringing up a child into gang life? After all, the repercussions caused by gangs in our public school systems affect the well being and learning of all students. And the burden of street gangs also affect the school staff, security, resource officers, as well as bog down school administration to the point that they’re dealing with nothing but these types of issues.

     Which begs the question; should society deal with gang members and generational gang families more harshly? And at what point does this harshness turn into harassment? As you can see there are many questions that come with an issue such as this. There are no easy answers to the above questions because we all have rights as individuals and should be free from harassment. I suppose if all the answers to these questions were available, generational gang families would be a mute point.

     I could literally write countless pages on this issue and I have. If you want more information on this or other issues related to gangs in education, buy a copy of my book: Gangs In Our Schools An Educators Guide, by sending $19.95 plus $4.00 s&h in a check or money order to P.O. Box 13591, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88013. Please make payable to Gilbert Cabrera.

For 4 or more book orders take advantage of the special savings by clicking on the order form page on the right sidebar of this post.

I guarantee you won’t be disappointed with this information! 

Thanks and come again for another post on gang issues in education.

Gilbert

     Welcome to a new post on gang issues in education. Although it has been a while since my last post, I have been busily looking for resources that will add to your reading experience and relevance to street gangs. 

     I’m glad to announce the addition of two new websites for my readers to investigate and hopefully enjoy. Please take the time to explore the Stop The Violence, and Gang Colors, websites in the new links sidebar. Both are excellent resources that offer community resources and counseling services for anyone who deals with gang members.

     Although the Stop The Violence website is stationed in Washington State, which is far from where I reside, it offers a wealth of community resources that are worth looking into. The women who host this site understand the difficulties gang members present in our communities, and society in general, and sadly have had first hand experiences with gang violence. Because of their dedication to stopping the violence in our society, I highly recommend this site as a stepping stone for other communities and commuity activists looking into additonal resources for dealing with street gangs.

     The Gang Colors website is also worth checking out. It offers gang and general counseling services. But what I really like about this particular site is the fact it does offer counseling services to anyone who has to deal with gang members. The author of this site has had extensive experience counseling gang members and is very knowledgeable with gang interactions.

     I am also in the process of trying to get a link to a website that is full of valuable resources for students. Although I have not been able to contact them directly I highly recommend this website. You can reach this site by going to http://www.dealingwithgangs.org/ This website presents so many resources to look into, it will take a while to explore everything they present on street gangs. This site is hosted by the Prosser School District and they have done an outstanding job with their presentation of resources. In addition this site is extensively geared toward school children, but can be used by anyone needing information on street gangs. I hope to add a link from their website via my blog page soon.

     And finally, I found another site that also has excellent resources on street gangs. The name of this website is Know Gangs. it can be reached by going to www.knowgangs.com. I am also trying to contact them to put a direct link to their website from my blog page. On this site the authors explore intimate details about street gangs and is very informative.

     I will keep you informed of any changes to the links sidebar as more resources become available. I hope you find these websites useful.

Thank you and come again for more information on gang issues in education.

Gilbert R. Cabrera

     Welcome to a new post on gang issues in education. In this writing I hope to address some of the issues that I touched upon in my last posting.

     I guess the first question that needs to be asked is why would a child contemplate joining a gang or even consider that lifestyle as an alternative?  I wish there was a simple formula one could follow to help achieve an answer. 

     But realistically because we live in such a diverse, instant gratification, and money driven society, the current culture dictates the proliferation of gangs today.  I know there will be many who disagree with my assessment. But all you have to do is enter into just about any public school on any given day and you can see it in the hallways of education.

     What I’m referring too is the gangster style of dress many students seem to be emulating nowadays.  If you think gang members are not noticing this trend you better think otherwise, because this is exactly what they are looking for. They know that if they are dealing with someone who is willing to emulate the culture they can be more easily swayed to their way of thinking.

     I feel this is because the student is lost in an identity crises and is searching for their place in school and society, in general. Unfortunately, our schools are becoming fertile recruiting grounds for gangs because of so many students who fit the mold described above. I know many students flirt with this type of dress and will be approached more readily by members more than if they were not sending out this subliminal signal.

     Many times the student may not even have a clue they have usnsuspectingly aroused intererst from a gang because of their dress. But I can assure gangs do take notice and will eventually approach the person to inquire about it.

     So if this is one factor that might lead to a confrontation with a gang member, the solution almost seems too obvious; school uniforms. But before you jump on the uniform bandwagon let me interject some experiences here. All members will tag anything they possess to still show their affiliations, even to the point of tagging their undergarments if that’s what it takes. So understand it eventually turns into a game of cat and mouse between members and school staff.

     So if uniforms are not the answer then what is? Short of a self contained school where all members are sent too, which I’m sure would be difficult to staff and is also unconstitutional at this time. A grin and bear it attitude has to be implemented, until stricter penalties are enacted nationwide to deal with gangs in our schools. If our government doesn’t start to take a hard look at this issue from the inside out, gangs will continue to proliferate our schools districts, and at an alarming rate I might add.

     I wish I could offer a solution one could use across all schools and districts, but there just isn’t one right now. Although I do offer some strategies on this subject in my book. There is nothing concrete that can be done until our society begins to put it’s united foot down to eradicate gangs from education.  

     I would like to delve more thoroughly on this issue in a post, but the discussion could literally last countless pages, so instead please refer to my book; Gangs In Our Schools An Educators Guide, for more information.   

      Although I didn’t really answer the question I first asked, consider this only a small solution to the answer.

     Thank you and come again for another posting on gang issues in education.

     If I ruffled your feathers and you wish to contact me to discuss this further you may do so at: cabgil@aol.com

Gilbert R. Cabrera