NCJ Number
157658
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 22 Issue: 5 Dated: (May 1995) Pages: 36-41,59
Date Published
1995
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the growing problem of juvenile gangs in the U.S., a problem that has spread from urban American to suburban and even rural areas, and that has affected everyday school life.
Abstract
Most experts on youth gangs believe that the most effective approach toward neutralizing the threat is cooperation between school officials and police officers. Because gangs no longer shy away from infiltrating the schools, teachers and administrators need to handle an issue that was once left entirely to law enforcement. A community-wide approach, in which all different sectors work together to provide kids with an alternative to gang involvement, seems to work well. Police officers have also become involved in school gang-education programs, where the focus is on teaching children skills to resist peer pressure to join a gang. Getting kids involved in antigang programs, by making them feel that their school is their turf, to be protected from outside gangs, is another essential component of an effective approach.