How do we Prevent and Stop Gang Violence in Our Society?
Our ability to answer this question will help make our society a safer and better place to dwell.
As we all know, Prevention is better than cure. It is better for us to prevent gangs.
We can reduce the menace of gangs in our society by participating in various anti gang programs such as:
- Organizing sports for youths
- Organizing drama and activities that offers alternatives to gangs.
- Provide gang and drug prevent guides and training for youths. The youths youth to know about gang related problems, death statistics resulting from gang fight and gang crimes and what the future have for gang members (negative gains of being a gang member)
- The government have a lot to play in stopping gang problems in our society. The government should provide support services that will help to counsel gang members who are willing to denounce their gang membership and also offer protection for such persons.
- The government should setup a community policing patrol system or a neighborhood police watch program that will inform people of graffiti, gang members and territories. This will in not small measure help to stop the spread of gangs in our society.
- Parents have a big role in the fight against gang in our society. Parents should try and educate and open communication with their children to stop them from joining violent gangs or hanging around with gangsters.
How To Stop Gang Violence: Lessons From Chicago for the UK
How should the United Kingdom combat the violence that's raged across the country all week? British Prime Minister David Cameron says the country needs to learn a few lessons from America on how to fight gangs, along with possibly revoking social media and Blackberry service from rioters. What can the U.S. offer as advice for the U.K. on handling gang violence?Tio Hardiman is someone who knows how gang members communicate, and possibly how to stop violence before it starts. Hardiman is the director of CeaseFire, a public health group that works to reduce violence in Chicago, where an estimated 100,000 gang members live.
http://www.thetakeaway.org/2011/aug/12/how-to-stop-gang-violence-uk-chicago/
Can Citizens Stop Gang Violence Themselves?"
A Guide to Gang Prevention
Awareness is the first step to preventing a gang problem from developing
in your community. Whether you realize it or not, all children can be
at risk to join gangs. As a parent, you have a lot more power than you
think to prevent gangs from establishing and to stop your children
from joining a gang.
Children and teens that have good social skills are less likely to join
gangs or to be involved in negative behaviour. To build self-confidence
and respect for others in their children, parents need to teach:
Children need to learn to express feelings
such as anger, joy, love and fear. They must believe it is okay for
them to express these feelings without being teased or punished.
Cooperation
Children must learn to cooperate, negotiate and put
themselves in another person’s shoes. Praise your children for
cooperating, especially when they are able to work out a compromise.
Personal Responsibility
Teach your children to be responsible for
their actions. Let them know that even if they don’t get something
right at first, what counts is that they are trying hard and learning
from the experience.
Ability to make decisions
Instead of solving problems for your
children, give them the chance to think of possible solutions.
• Community involvement. Recent studies have found that youth
often do not feel valued in their community. Encourage and
provide opportunities for youth to volunteer and be a part of
community organizations.
A Balance Between Love and Discipline
Children may join a gang to gain a sense of belonging. To show your
children they are loved and valued:
• Spend time alone with each child. It doesn’t matter what you do, as
long as you get to know each other better.
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• Plan Family Time. Make time for your family to play, eat meals
together, take trips, keep family traditions, and have family
meetings to talk about plans, feelings and complaints.
• Listen to your children and ask their opinions. Help your children
talk with you without fear of punishment. Do not talk down to
your children - even though adults are older, children’s thoughts
and feelings deserve respect.
• Talk to your children about ways to deal with pressure from friends.
Help your children make up some simple ways to respond to peer
pressure. For example, if your child is challenged by a peer who
says “If you are my friend, you would...,” your child can respond,
“If you were my friend you wouldn’t ask.” Then he/she should
walk away.
• Set limits with your children and teens. Children and teenagers need
to know clearly what is expected of them and the consequences
for acting otherwise. Do not rescue children from the consequences
of their decisions.
• Build Assets. Give youth meaningful opportunities to be involved
in decision making, planning and implementation of family,
school and community projects.
Learn about the risk of gangs establishing and potential gang activity
in your area. Talk to your children about the negative things that
gangs do, and how they can affect your child, their friends, your
neighbourhood and your family.
• Do not allow your children to dress in gang style clothing. Explain
to your children that these items of clothing can put them in
danger and that you will not purchase them or allow them to be
worn.
• Point out violent messages on television and in movies. Talk to
your children about ways they can solve their problems without
fighting or violence, and demonstrate the strategies in your own
life.
• Get to know your child’s friends and their parents. When children
start to feel pressure to use drugs or join gangs, it usually comes
from their friends.
• Start educating your children at an early age. While a five-year-old
may not understand the effects of joining a gang, they can learn
to say “no” to negative behaviour.
‘Adapted from the National Alliance of Gang Investigators Associations
