NCJ Number
167976
Journal
School Intervention Report Volume: 10 Issue: 3 Dated: (Spring 1997) Pages: 1-5,7,9,11,13-14
Date Published
1997
Length
10 pages
Annotation
At the Fourth Joint National Conference on Gangs, Schools, and Community held in Dallas in the spring of 1996, three mothers of gang members told the stories of their families, their actions, and the strategies they used for addressing their children's gang involvement.
Abstract
Anita's son became involved in gangs at age 12. It took almost 6 years for him to change his life. He attended a parochial school and had two parents at home. Her son finally decided that he didn't want to be involved in gangs. Counseling and medication helped him change his life. Her son is now in college and has a full-time job. Becky's son was killed in a drive-by shooting at a part in 1989. She did not know that her son was in a gang. He attended a private school. Becky is now raising her son's child. She has learned a lot about gangs and focuses on quality time and communication in raising her granddaughter. Brenda had been actively involved in issues of social justice. Her son became a skinhead. The stories of these three mothers reveal several recurring themes. These include the importance of communication, the need to observe a child's actions closely to detect the early signs of alienation or attachment to peers and non-related adults, familiarity with community resources for counseling and support, and the acknowledgment that intervention by police agencies can be helpful. Additional recommendations