While eliminating and preventing gang violence in schools presents a formidable challenge with a variety of answers, there seems to be basic agreement about the reasons that kids join gangs. According to the National School Safety and Security Services, contributors to gang involvement include a youth's need for: "power, status, security, friendship, a family substitute and economic profit." One solution recommended by Ivory Toldson, Ph.D., a well-known author and speaker on the subject of gang activity, is to offer better options to fulfill these same needs through extracurricular activities. Encouraging students to get involved in sports teams, cheerleading, pep club and band promotes healthy alternatives to gang activity.
Recognizing that gangs are a societal problem that must be addressed by the community at large is the first step in dealing with the problem in schools. In the article, "Gang Violence," Rosario Pesce refers to A.P. Goldstein's and D. W. Kodluboy's article entitled, "Gangs in Schools: Signs, Symbols, and Solutions," where the author asserts that school programs aimed at preventing gang violence should employ three types of strategies: "in-school safety and control procedures, in-school enrichment procedures that make school more meaningful and reduce[ing] feelings of alienation, and formal links to community based services."
One of Toldson's research findings from his "National Crime Victimization Survey: School Crime Supplement" was that students did not believe the teachers cared about them. Students surveyed said that teachers were disrespectful and humiliated them during class. Toldson believes this lack of trust is part of the problem, and that students need to be able to trust teachers. A kid will come forward and report a gun or bully to an adult he trusts. Fostering the developing meaningful relationships between teachers and students is an important step in creating a safe learning environment.
Educating parents and school personnel to recognize the signs of gang involvement will help adults get involved to help troubled youth. By enlisting the assistance of law enforcement to help educate the community and kids at risk, schools can begin to manage and prevent gang violence. Past history has shown that when a community shows a united front against gang violence and offers kids the tools they need to report bullying activities to trusted teachers or authority figures, then the schools and the community will benefit.
Evaluating program results to make adjustments as needed is a proven method for improving anti-gang programs. Student surveys and statistical analysis provides the data needed to review gang education efforts, gang violence occurrences and school progress. Asking the kids questions to discern how open they are to reporting bullying and gang activities is a good way to evaluate how well the programs are working.