Article/Column

There is an epidemic spreading throughout our country, claiming the lives of our children. This epidemic is not new, but it is gaining strength and momentum, taking more and more of our children each year. The epidemic of which I speak is youth gangs.

 

Gangs are a very real and serious threat, which know no geographical, socio-economic, or racial boundaries. Gangs are not just plaguing our inner cities—we are finding them in increasing numbers in the suburbs, as well. Nor are gangs limited to the well-known national gangs such as the Bloods and the Crips; many of the youth gangs in our community develop locally, making it more difficult to identify the language and symbols warning of their activities.

 

However, this is not merely a local rivalry between the East and West sides of town. Many of these gangs are highly organized and deeply-rooted. They lure our children, break up our families, and bring pain to our communities.

 

When children join gangs, they often expose themselves to a life filled with drugs, violence, criminal activities, and disregard for human life. The most dangerous threats to public safety and the rule of law in our society are illegal drug use and the related violence that accompanies it. The culture and organization of youth gangs are at the heart of this public safety challenge.

 

Gangs are successful at recruiting our youth because they offer the promise of fulfilling needs that are not being met elsewhere in our children’s lives. This may take the form of providing a “family” for a child who feels neglected or unloved at home. It may also entail providing a sense of accomplishment for children who are insecure, many of whom are failing in school. Successfully completing a criminal activity can offer the feeling of importance, power, or achievement. Many times, gangs offer these young people protection or provide them with material belongings they could not otherwise afford. Occasionally, gangs are appealing simply because they offer something to do after school.

 

Whatever the allure of gangs to our children, we must come together as a community to minimize these risk factors. The number one preventive action we can take to help our children avoid gang involvement is strong parenting. We must be active in their lives, whether it is helping them with their homework, sitting down to eat dinner with them, or just talking to them about the events taking place in their daily lives. From time to time, I will even listen to Hip Hop radio stations or watch BET so I can know what messages are being sent to my children.We must be proactive in knowing whom are children are befriending and what they do in their spare time. We must ensure that our children know they are loved and valued. We must keep informed of their progress in school and be in communication with their teachers. We must provide constructive activities to keep them engaged.

 

It is also critical that parents learn the warning signs so that they might identify gang activity. The things our children say at the dinner table or to their friends on the phone or through the internet may be more than just harmless slang; it may be specific gang language. Likewise, a wardrobe filled with one particular color may not be indicative that the child merely favors it; it could be the color representing that child’s gang.

 

Most gang members go through progressive stages of involvement, and early detection can play a key role in helping our children before it is too late. It is hard for any parent to believe that his or her child may fall victim to this epidemic, but the risk is there. We must be prepared to recognize and prevent this risk.

 

To help with these efforts, I have teamed up with Mr. Frank Clark, a nationally-recognized expert on gang awareness and identification for the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services, to hold three gang summits that educate parents, teachers, and other members of the community about the signs and language of gangs, how to talk to our children about gangs, and how to report gang activity without becoming a target for retaliation.

 

The first of these summits was recently held in Catonsville and was a great success. We had parents, teachers, and community leaders come together to discuss the signs of gang activity and have their questions answered by an expert on the issue. I anticipate the next two forums to be equally as successful, and I encourage everyone who reads this to attend. It takes a community effort to keep our children safe from this danger, and the importance of understanding the signs for which we should be looking and how we should be acting if we suspect gang involvement cannot be stressed enough.

 

The next of these gang forums will be held in Howard County on Saturday, October 6, from 10:00 am until noon at the East Columbia Public Library, located at 6600 Cradle Rock Way. The last session will be held on Saturday, October 20, at the State Center Auditorium located at 300 W. Preston Street in Baltimore from 10 a.m. until noon. For more information, or to RSVP for this free event, please call my office at 410-685-9199.

 

While the threat posed by this epidemic of gangs is very real and very alarming, it is not indestructible. We must learn how to talk to our children about gangs and to effectively report gang activity. We also need to be sure that our youth have constructive activities to occupy their spare time. Finally—and perhaps most importantly—we must take the necessary steps to guarantee that we are fulfilling our roles as good parents. By taking these simple precautions, we can rise together as a community and protect our children from this deadly epidemic.