Welcome back to a new post and a new school year. As many of us in the teaching profession get ready for a new wave of students, being prepared is paramount for our success in the classroom.
In my opinion, being prepared not only includes the intellectual and physical sides of teaching, but also the awareness side, by knowing how to spot and deal with gang members in your school and classrooms. I feel knowing what to look for will help with school wide discipline, especially if members are able to be immediately identified by school personnel.
With this being said, I have recently been asked by some of my readers if there are any sure-fire signs, which would help in identifying members. Although there is no exact science to spotting gang members in your school there are signs to look for, regardless of affiliation.
During my time teaching to this population, I came up with a checklist to help identify students with possible gang ties. Although the list I am about to give you are general items to look for, the questions given will be a good indicator of gang involvement. I would also like to add that these indicators can be used with either male or female members.
Has the child:
*Recently started to dress differently?
(ex: baggy clothes, headgear, earrings, etc.)
*Started to wear items which represent a specific color?
(ex: pants, shirts, hairbands, shoes, and shoelaces)
*Recently received a new tattoo or brand on their body?
(ex: visible or non-visible, on the neck, arms, etc.)
*Started using drugs or alcohol and does not hide the fact?
*Started to skip classes on a regular basis?
*Recently changed whom they hang around with?
*Started to wear expensive jewelry or other expensive items without the means of buying such items?
*Recently come home or to school looking like they got into a fight with no explanation of how they got that way?
*Have tagging on their personal belongings?
(ex: shoes, notebooks, etc.)
*Have a nickname you recently became aware of?
(ex: psycho, g-dog, juice, loco, etc.)
*Have a dramatic change in language and use of profanity?
*Started to carry around large amounts of cash, again with no means of earning it.
*Become defiant towards authority and parents and shows no remorse for their actions or care about the consequences?
If you can answer yes to a majority of these questions, you are probably dealing with either a full-fledged member, or a wanna-be. Either way they probably claim some sort of gang affiliation.
Again, these guidelines are just general items to look for as this list can become quite complicated. For an in-depth look at this and other issues, you can purchase a copy of my book by going to the link on the right side of this post and following the order instructions.
Thank you and come again for another look at gang issues in education.
Gilbert