NCJ Number
163293
Journal
School Safety Dated: (Spring 1995) Pages: 12-14
Date Published
1995
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Successful efforts to quell escalating youth gang intimidation at one school resulted from communitywide collaboration of law enforcement, school personnel, city government, and social service agencies.
Abstract
At Eureka High School in rural Humboldt County, Calif., gangs were increasingly using school grounds as a site for gang confrontations and intimidation. In an effort to resolve the escalating problem, school authorities convened a meeting of two rival gangs to discuss their ongoing rivalry. The first order of business established basic ground rules: no posturing or verbal taunting. The second order of business communicated the school administration's position. Gang members were informed that the school was neutral turf; gang behavior would result in suspension or expulsion from school. The next part of the meeting focused on each gang's perception of a series of confrontational events, which in turn led to a discussion of the cultural and ethnic differences between the two groups. A breakthrough occurred when the two groups began explaining their lives and values to each other in a personal way. Both sides agreed to participate in a 1- day retreat that centered on the theme of building cultural bridges. The truce spread to older, nonstudent members of each gang. The truce held long enough for school administrators to assess the problem and begin the development of long-range plans for school safety and gang suppression. Toward this effort, school administrators took the lead in assembling a planning group that consisted of representatives of the school district office, city council, the police, the board of education, the probation department, and the district attorney's office. A comprehensive community-based plan was developed to address gangs and gang-related behavior. This article concludes with the outline of a strategy for addressing gangs in rural areas.