NCJ Number
153902
Date Published
1995
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This video is designed to help parents understand the attraction of gangs for adolescents who have no alternative social network and to suggest ways parents can help prevent their children from becoming involved in gangs.
Abstract
The video opens with a brief profile of Mario Espinoza and his relationship with his parents through their responses to interview questions. Mario is quiet at home but a troublemaker at school, where he acts out his gang associations. According to Mario, lack of communication and interaction with his parents has fostered alternative peer associations. Other gang members interviewed by narrator Ellen Kingsley speak of parents who are not around to provide guidance because of their work schedules or indifference. Other parents are abusive or inconsistent with their children. The narrator notes that gangs provide adolescents with the social, relational, and activity experiences they lack at home and in the positive aspects of community life. In the skit dramatized by the Family Life Theatre troupe, a fictional mother overhears her son talking to his friends about stealing a car, getting guns, and avenging the shooting of a friend's younger brother. Using threats and demands, the mother attempts to get her son to stay home, without success. Comments by those in the audience watching the dramatization, along with comments by a professional counselor, lead to a dramatization of how the mom should have addressed her son, namely, expressing concern for his safety and her determination to call the police, contact the parents of other gang members, as well as the school in an attempt to change his risky behavior. Other suggestions to parents include guiding children into constructive activities and community groups, as well as providing reinforcement and resources that will encourage adolescents to pursue positive goals in which they are interested.