Adolescent Risk Signs:

How to Tell if an Adolescent is at Risk to Join a Gang

http://www.boygeniusreport.com

     In order to better understand whether or not an adolescent in your care may be at risk to join a game, certain risk factors must be observed. These risk factors range from personality factors, family and environmental factors, or physical factors. If you feel a child may, even remotely, be prone to join a gang, start paying attention to these factors.

     Using simple conversation or observation, note if any of these characteristics are pre-existing or have begun to emerge from the individual being monitored. If the individual is exhibiting the factors for at risk-adolescents, more attention is necessary as soon as possible. As prevention is the easiest way to keep them out of gangs (intervention is much more difficult), one must address the issue as quickly as possible. Craig et al. (2002) found that if gang tendencies are not stopped, the gang related criminal activity will extend into their adulthood.

Personality Factors

• ”When facing the opportunity to join a gang, preexisting configurations of individual traits may greatly increase the likelihood that any given adolescent actually join the gangs,” (Dupéré et al. 2007)
• According to Craig et al. (2002) children who exhibit deviant (aggressive) behaviors will begin to make friends with similar aggressive tendencies by the age of ten. This affiliation with other aggressive individuals puts adolescents at an elevated risk joining a gang, as gang members typically expressed behavioral problems (i.e., aggression, fighting, delinquency) prior to joining the gang (Craig et al., 2002)
• One combination of characteristics that may make an adolescent more prone to join a gang is higher levels of hyperactivity along with low levels of prosociality (Dupéré et al. 2007)
• Antisocial youth are at a greater risk to search for a gang to join. Dishion et al. (2005) found that antisocial middle school students will actually “shop” for other children who are inclined similarly.

  According to focusas.com:

• Individuals who experience both institutional (denial of privileges) and personal racism are more likely to join a gang

Family and Environmental Factors

• As quote in Walker-Barnes et al. (2001) “Studies have shown parenting behavior-particularly poor supervision and monitoring, inappropriate use of control, and a negative emotional relationship between the parent and child-to be broadly related to general delinquent or problem behavior,” (e.g., Blaske et al., 1989; Cernkovich & Giordano, 1987; DiLalla, Mitchell, Arthur & Pagliocca, 1988, etc…). This research suggests that parenting styles have an immense impact on the personality of a child and whether or not the individual will be prone to gang affiliation.
• Walker-Barnes et al. (2001) also found that youths who reported higher level of peers involved in gang delinquent behavior were more likely to display similar delinquent behavior.
• Due to the personality characteristics (antisocial and delinquent youth) and their predisposition to associate with youth with similar characteristics, monitoring their friends is important. If they seem likely to (or actually are) flocking to these types of youth, action needs to be taken. If the friends seem deviant or likely to engage in gang-related behavior the ties need to be cut before a destructive relationship can be established between them and the adolescent.
• Individuals living in a disadvantaged neighborhood are also more prone to express gang affiliation. Youth growing up in these conditions especially need to be monitored as the likelihood is greatly increased. Adolescents with psychopathic tendencies in the areas are at an even greater risk at joining a gang (Dupéré et al. 2007).
• Gang formation in disadvantaged neighborhoods, in part, reflects a decline or lack of social support available to inner-city youth. (Sivan et al., 1999). Therefore, individuals in disadvantaged neighborhoods that also lack proper social support are also at an elevated risk for gang membership and affiliation.

Physical Factors

Physical factors pertain to ways a gang member will express themselves in order to openly associate themselves with their gang:
• Gang signs: The adolescent flashes or practices gang signs
• Tattoos: Many gangs require members to be tattooed to declare their affiliation to the gang. Any question tattoos on adolescents should be discussed immediately
• Attire: Many gangs have required attire or colors. If you notice the individual wearing a certain color all the time (especially carrying a bandana or hat of a matching/specific color), question them on whether or not it is gang related.
• Links are provided in the ‘Outside Resources’ section to help identify gang colors, signs, or tattoos.