101) Parents must provide children with a safe loving home environment plus help them get to school safely. It is also the parents ' responsibility to see that school is a safe place to learn and play. Children often choose to join gangs if their friends or family members belong. In order to "fit in" with other gang members, children may also begin to wear certain colors or other types of clothing associated with gangs. If a parent is quick to notice any of these indicators it is a signal that the child is interested in a gang or has already joined. From 50 to 85 percent of gang members come either from a single-parent home, or one in which no parent resides. If the parent is not available to provide structure, supervision, support, and caring during this crucial time of adolescent development, teens may turn to gang participation to fulfill their needs. (Lingren, 1996a). Gangs take root in schools for many reasons, but the primary attraction of gangs is their ability to respond to student needs that are not otherwise being met; they often provide youth with a sense of family and acceptance otherwise lacking in their lives. (Burnett and …show more content…
Gangs are not about friendship, community, or promoting positive behaviors. They are about violence, trouble, and breaking the law. Gang members will use charisma, charm, and their influence to hide their real intentions and purpose. Unfortunately, it is often too late before kids realize they were deceived and they become stuck in the gang lifestyle.gang members tell the audience the reason they joined a gang was because they were looking for a sense family. They were looking for a replacement for the attention they were missing at home. n this segment, you hear inactive gang members relate their realizations about being 'used ' by their gangs and ultimately being 'dispensable. ' One gang member even tells about learning the hard lesson that 'no one rides for free, ' eventually the lie and the façade wear off, and kids will be required to do something negative (like hurting someone or committing some other crime) to benefit the