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     Welcome back to this weeks post, which I feel is an overlooked issue in the classroom and can have huge repercussions throughout the school; the back of the classroom.

     For those of us who teach in the classroom, the back of the room can illicit connotations that typify the students who sit there. What we usually find are students that range from the ones who do not want to be called upon in class, to the extroverts who are loners, to the popular crowd or small clique who wish to be apart from the main group.

     But lurking in the shadows, often unnoticed, are also gang members. If there is more than one member from the same gang present they will always be sitting together. In addition, if you have more than one gang represented in the classroom they will try to claim stake to the back of the room. But what usually ends up happening is these gangs will congregate to different corners of the classroom.

     The dynamics of the classroom will often dictate where these students sit. I know that we often have seating assignments for our students and are unaware that different gang representations do not mix within each other without creating problems. Their need to represent and protect their colors can make for volatile confrontations in the classroom, especially when they are seated next to each other. Trust me it won’t be long before you separate them from each other.

     I bet you would be surprised to learn that they can manipulate you into sitting them together without you even realizing it. You see they can create a huge disruption to the classroom which often causes you to move students around until you find a manageable combination.

     But what often happens is that is members from the same gang are separated they will cause more class disruptions until you have unknowingly put them together. But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing because it allows you to keep an eye on them more easily. Even though they are in their little click you can control their behaviors more easily because you can threaten to separate them, which is something they really don’t want to do. So they will often be more manageable because they do not want to be separated again.

     The biggest drawback to this is that they can cause the school more problems because they are now more readily able to make plans. But if the school has identified who these members are, they can monitor their actions amongst the general population to ensure that any of their antics will not be a disruption to the school. 

     For more on this and other issues on gang members in the classroom you can refer to my book website at: gangsinourschools.com and clicking to the Buy this book link and following the order instructions.

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

Gilbert

Welcome to this weeks post which was inspired by recent events at work and has to do with reputation (rep) building to gain hardcore status. Specifically, paying allegiance to the gang, as I will name this piece.

     Many street gangs, which are highly organized, have some kind of by-laws or rules all members must adhere too. Most of these rules are unwritten and are verbally expressed to members. Other rules, however, are written and passed around (often through the use of the Internet) to all the affiliation leaders so they can disseminate the information to their subordinates.

    This includes but is not limited to the use of pledges. Which are geared specifically toward their affiliations and often denouncing other street gangs. It is highly unlikely you will ever see such a pledge in writing as these are for no one to see but members. But they do exist and they are mostly used as unconventional weapons between rival gangs.

     What these messages do is inform all members who their enemies are and how to dispose of them. And it is this need to be one up on other gangs that leads to many confrontations between members in school. Because it is highly likely there will be different gangs represented in a school, allegiances to their respective gangs can cause major disruptions for schools and staff. 

     All gang members are willing to fight for these allegiances and will go to great lengths to protect them. This will also include the use of physical violence, even in the face of suspensions, to protect them. Also remember that the more times a member is dealt with by administration the bigger their reps become thus adding to their status amongst their gangs. Just be aware that many fights between rival gangs will be waged over the need to protect their colors, which are often mentioned in these pledges.

     For more information on gangs in an educational setting please refer to my book by going to my book website at: gangsinourschools.com and clicking on the Buy Your Copy link and following the order information.

Thank you and come again for next weeks post on gang issues in schools.

Gilbert

     Welcome back to this weeks post which was requested by one of my colleagues at work and has to deal with an issue that has potentially negative repercussions, which impacts not only the school but causes damage to the moral of students; bullying/intimidation. 

     If you think of the word bully and its connotations, you usually think of someone who stalks their prey and tries to overpower them by the use of physical violence. And indeed you would be correct with your assessment, as this is an integral part of bullying. But with gang members it goes much deeper and there are always ulterior motives behind the bullying process they employ.

     The reason I did not use the term (bullying process) in the title is because I feel bullying is the end result after relentless intimidation. Allow me to elaborate further, you see gang members always employ group intimidation when they target someone for either monetary gain or in some cases to entice membership. Many times they will continue this process until they are finally exited from school because of it. But it may not stop there as other members in the gang may continue the harassment just to prove a point to their targets. Which is, just because you get rid of one member there will be another to take their place.

     With gang members it all boils down to strength in numbers. And showing a potential target the numbers of members involved, sends a clear message to the target. Often it is just this show of numbers, which causes enough fear in the target to surrender their money to the gang, often willingly.

     If you think members will stop using intimidation for fear of being expelled from school for using such tactics, your mind set must be changed. The reason is once members have been officially jumped into their gangs they are mandated to earn hardcore status. As such they are often expected, by the gang, to pick targets for monetary gain to the gang. 

     Anyone who is perceived to have some type of disposable income, regardless of their physical stature, or often gender status, can become a target. This is especially true if these members find a victim who happens to fight back. I know one would think otherwise and they would pick on someone who is perceived as weaker, but they use group intimidation to accomplish their agendas. If they can get away with beating up on someone in the process then they are more than willing to take on their challengers, but again, only as a group.

    Eventually, as a member has earned status amongst their gangs the focus of a hardcore member will change from one of intimidation and taking money from people, to actively seeking new recruits for the gang. 

For more information on this and other issues, please refer to my book: Gangs in our Schools An Educators Guide, by going to my book website at; gangsinourschools.com

If you need to contact me you can do so by sending me an email at: gangsino@gangsinourschools.com

See you next week with another post on gang issues in school.

Thanks, Gilbert

     Welcome back to a new year of strategies and information on dealing with gang  members in your classroom. I hope to offer you valuable insights into the gang world to help you better deal with this population in a positive manner in your school.

     The first issue I will address this year is inherently common to many members we deal with in education; low self esteem. Many times a child contemplates joining a gang to gain some type of support system they are missing somewhere in their lives. Although there are many positive options a child can take to gain this recognition, it only takes the right incentive from the right group to lure these types of children down the wrong path. This coupled with the fact that they have no support system at home leaves them vulnerable to falling in with the wrong crowd. Many times gang recruiters are actively seeking these types of students to recruit into their respective gangs because they know how easy it is to gain their trust.

     If I were to offer you companionship, recognition, security and protection for joining a certain crowd, you would more than likely be inclined to accept the invitation, especially if it would help build up your self esteem. These are some of the perks offered to a potential recruit, which often sways a child’s decision to join a gang. These perks coupled with the rush from the activities involved of being in a gang will often encourage recruitment.

     The reality is that many children we deal with in education can fall into this trap because they are seeking some type of recognition from their elders and will do what ever it takes to gain it. Maybe it is a subconscious decision on their part, but it definitely puts the spotlight on themselves, especially from their families. Unfortunately by the time a child has contemplated the decision to join a gang, they have also made a commitment to disregard their families for this exchange. They now will seek the approval of the hardcore members in the gang and will take this to the extreme, often to the point of being disowned by their own families. Keep in mind that these children have made a commitment to the gang and will accept the gang and its members as their surrogate families.

     These are just some of the issues which can influence a child’s decision to join a gang but are not the only reasons. For a more detailed view on this and other issues regarding gang members, you can go to my book site at this link: gangsinourschools.com for instructions on how to buy a copy of my book.

Thanks and come again to next weeks post.

P.S. I hope everyone reaches and surpasses their goals for the coming year.