A gang is a group of people who may be involved in crime and violence. Many young people will not realise they are in a gang, they will just think they are in a group of friends. It's important to remember that being in a gang is not illegal, only the criminal offences committed are illegal.

 

Why do young people join street gangs?
Young people can join gangs for a number of reasons. They can join to get:

• recognition
• excitement
• friends
• acceptance
• a sense of belonging
• power over other people
• money from crime
• protection
• territory
• respect

 

Being in a gang - the fantasy and reality
Young people are exposed to images of gangs on the TV, in movies and through rap music. These tend to glorify drugs, sex, and violence as an acceptable lifestyle and do not show the truth about gangs and the destruction they can cause for families, friends and the communities we live in.

Children may think that being in a gang will give them a glamorous lifestyle, but the reality is very different. Being in a gang puts children and young people at more risk of committing crime, dealing or taking drugs, ending up in prison, being a victim of violence and even death.

 

Gangs and the law
Although there are no laws banning gangs or gang membership, there are laws to prevent the criminal activities often associated with gangs. These include:

• in court, if an offender was part of a gang, it could lead to a longer sentence
• drugs like cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy are illegal to have, or carry
• it is illegal to carry any knife if there is intent to use it as a weapon (even if it belongs to someone else)
• it is illegal to carry or keep a gun without a licence, including fake or replica guns
• police can (and will) search anyone they think may be carrying a gun or a knife
• police and school staff can also search young people for weapons at school

Carrying a gun or a knife could mean being arrested, going to court and ending up with a criminal record that will affect the rest of that person’s life. Having a criminal record can prevent people from getting a job, going to university or college, or even travelling abroad.

 

Advice for parents
Even with good parental support and despite our best efforts, our young can be easily attracted into dangerous friendship groups. While it is important to recognise the negative elements of becoming involved in a gang, we must also see why our youngsters are attracted into joining them in order to try and understand and ultimately deter them from becoming involved.

Be on the look-out for warning signs that suggest your child may be involved in a gang:

Visual signs

• Gang symbols: on schoolbooks, pencil cases, bags, bedroom posters and personal possessions.
• Clothing: young people wearing certain colours relating to specific gangs
• Hand signals: sometimes hand signals are given by individuals to show which gang they are aligned.
• Post codes: young people often align themselves to post codes.

 

Behaviour

• A rise in truancy
• Sudden changes in your child’s selection of friends.
• An increased number of social groups with unusual ‘gang’ names your child is hanging around with.
• Your child may experience bullying and pressure to join a gang.
• They may be vague or secretive about their activities.
• Possessing relatively large sums of money or bringing expensive items home.
• Getting in trouble with the police.

 

IT

• Be aware of the websites your child is viewing. Social networking sites can give access to images and words glorifying gang culture.
• Chat rooms and texts can be used to bully young people to join gangs.

 

Music

• Rap music associated with gangs can be threatening and violent.
• Know what your children are listening to.

 

For in-depth advice, visit Gangs and Gang Crime on the DirectGov website.