NCJ Number
132361
Journal
School Administrator Volume: 46 Issue: 5 Dated: (May 1989) Pages: 8-9,13-15
Date Published
1989
Length
5 pages
Annotation
In today's schools, gang activities are often part of a complex web of drugs, abuse, violence, and an attitude that holds criminal and violent behavior in high regard.
Abstract
For example, Los Angeles gang members who have been in jail point to their jail experience with pride to express gang loyalty. They encourage younger onlookers to follow in their footsteps by making incarceration seem glamorous. While many think that gang activities are limited to inner cities, gang members move to suburban and rural areas when "the heat is on" or to find greener pastures. Also, in mid-size and small towns where factories close or businesses fail, unemployment, poverty, and unrest create conditions conducive to gangs. The increase in gang- and drug-related robberies becomes particularly important when students say they carry weapons to school for safe passage. In areas where gang warfare is extreme, schools must demonstrate that weapons, violence, extortion, and drug sales will not be tolerated. Teachers need training in how to spot potential problems, intervene in crises, defuse potentially volatile situations, and establish instructional and management routines that limit opportunities for trouble. In addition, a cooperative working relationship is needed between school officials and the police. Many security experts recommend two-way radio systems that link schools to buses, to other schools, and to local authorities. Some States have passed legislation that imposes stiff criminal penalties for the sale and distribution of drugs and weapons within 1,000 feet of school property. The Chicago Intervention Network, designed to prevent school gang violence with the support of ex-gang members, is described.