Questions Related to Specific Safety Problems (continued)

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• Monitor students for indications of gang involvement
• Cooperate with local law enforcement in addressing gang-related problems
• Develop early intervention programs to deal with academic problems and antisocial behavior
• Support the development of after-school and weekend activities
• Promote mentoring programs

As in the case of drug and alcohol prevention efforts, there are various signs that suggest students may be involved in gangs. These signs include graffiti on school property, unusual attire, and fights involving groups of students. Educators need to be alert to such indicators. In some cases, students may not be actual gang members, but they may be emulating these individuals. In other instances, gang activities are occurring at school. By monitoring students for signs of gang involvement, educators can warn parents and the police as well as take a public stand against gang involvement. School officials should take immediate steps to remove graffiti and other symbols of gangs and to prohibit students from wearing gang-related attire to school.

If gangs have formed in a community, efforts to deal with them must involve local law enforcement agencies. Educators need to establish close ties with these agencies, informing them of suspicious activities at school and receiving advanced warnings of possible gang-related incidents in or around school. In the event that rival gangs become involved in a fight at school, the police should be contacted immediately and the appropriate crisis management plan put into effect. School personnel should not attempt to handle such incidents on their own.

The key to school-based efforts to deal with gangs is early intervention. Once adolescents have joined a gang, it is quite difficult to convince them to leave. Elementary school interventions should focus on assisting students who are experiencing academic problems and manifesting antisocial behavior. Antisocial behavior causes youngsters to be rejected by peers and teachers, thereby making them receptive to invitations from gangs. Many of the programs that have proven effective in preventing drug and alcohol use, such as training in resistance skills and effective problem solving, also may help young people cope with the lure of gang membership.

One school-based program that has shown promise in discouraging young people from becoming involved in gangs is Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.). Developed by the Phoenix Police Department, G.R.E.A.T. is a nine-week instructional program aimed at middle school students. Students learn about the impact of crime on victims and the community in general and how to meet their needs without joining a gang. Goal-setting is a key component of the training. A study that compared students who had and had not received G.R.E.A.T. instruction found that the former reported lower rates of delinquency and drug use (Gottfredson, 1997, pp. 5-39 to 5-40).

Because unstructured time opens the door to possible gang involvement, programs that offer young people interesting things to do after school, on weekends, and in the summer also may serve as antidotes to gang involvement (Sherman, 1997, pp. 3-26 to 3-28). Educators should create programs that use school facilities during nonschool hours and work with other groups to develop opportunities for involvement elsewhere in the community. Howell (1995, p. 95) concluded that

Afterschool recreation programs can address the risk factors of alienation and association with delinquent and violent peers. Protective factors may include opportunities for involvement with prosocial youth and adults, skills for leisure activities, and bonding to prosocial others.

Some young people are drawn to gangs because they lack positive role models. To address this deficit, schools and communities can develop mentoring programs that place at-risk young people in contact with responsible and caring adults. There is substantial evidence that mentoring can be an effective intervention to prevent young people from joining gangs (Sherman, 1997, pp. 3-20 to 3-25). Mentors meet with their young charges several times each month as well as speaking with them over the phone on a regular basis. Young people share problems with mentors and join them in recreational activities.

The overall message for educators interested in reducing the harmful effects of gangs is identical to that for school-based efforts to confront drugs and alcohol. Though educators alone do not control the factors that give rise to gangs, it is crucial that they play an active role in discouraging gang involvement and providing constructive alternatives for young people.