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GANGS IN OUR SCHOOLS-- Presents a unique problem in education which is increasing at an alarming rate nationally.
The need to detect gang members in a school setting is an important factor, which allows all staff members the ability to easily identify hardcore and wanna-be gang members in school.
As an educator you must also be aware of where many activities take place in a school setting and are utilized by gang members on a daily basis.
If you search the Internet, libraries, or other informative databases, the information presented on gangs is geared toward law and law enforcement agencies. This is why I felt a comprehensive book on GANGS IN OUR SCHOOLS would be of great use for anyone who has to deal with juveniles who partake in gang rituals. All of the views expressed in my research for this book came from gang members themselves, both male and female. Everything stated in my book are facts from my daily interaction with these members.
BOOK STATISTICS
Title: Gangs in our SchoolsAbout the Author: Gilbert Cabrera started out his career in the construction field where he ran a successful business. It wasn't until he decided to take on other challenges in his life that he received his Bachelors Degree in Education from New Mexico State University. This afforded him the opportunity to work in a school created solely to house suspended or expelled students from regular school. He found out that what he was actually teaching to were gang members from different parts of the city. Many coming from different affiliations, from various parts of the country. After a few years of working with this population he decided to interview gang members to get an understanding on their views of education as well as to teach to them more effectively. After having interviewed many members from different gangs he compiled this information in a book for educators, but clearly the general public can benefit from this information. As a writer and speaker on gang issues in public education he is promoting gang awareness in schools. Gilbert Cabrera currently teaches in the Las Cruces Public School District, as an English teacher.
**SPOT A GANG MEMBER BY THEIR DRESS**
**IDENTIFY THE HARDCORE MEMBER FROM THE WANNA-BE**
**UNDERSTAND THE GANG HIERARCHY SYSTEM**
**DEAL WITH GANG MEMBERS IN YOUR CLASSROOM**
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The following Introduction is taken from the book: Gangs in our Schools/ An Educators Guide. This excerpt is copyright protected © 2007 by Gilbert R. Cabrera.
Gangs in our schools present a unique problem, which has not until recently shown its face to the degree it has, in education in the United States. Because of this, teachers are being presented with situations that command our attention and at the same time set precedence in the classroom.
If you search the Internet, libraries, or other informative databases, the information presented on gangs is geared toward law and law enforcement agencies. But as far as education in the classroom the information was oblique, limited, and usually did not relate to teaching in the classroom. Because of this lack of information I felt a comprehensive book on gangs in schools would be of great use for anyone who has to deal with juveniles who partake in gang rituals.
The reason I wrote this book is because when I began my teaching career, it was in a school created solely to house students who were expelled from regular school for either weapons or drug infractions. As I did research and tried to find information that would enable me to understand more of the gang world, which most of the students I was dealing with belonged to. I literally found nothing as far as strategies in dealing with this population in the classroom.
Unfortunately, I eventually learned through the school of hard knocks as well as trial and error. It was after a couple of years of working with this population that I decided to interview gang members to see if there was some link to their views on education, which was common among the different gang populations. I did this research to help me better deal with these students as well as to enable me to teach to them in a more significant manner.
Surprisingly, what I found wasn't just a link, but more like a credo against the educational process from all gangs and members interviewed.
This book presents, to educators, an in depth look at how gangs operate in and out of school and how they view the educational process themselves. I hope once you have finished reading this book you will have critical knowledge of what to expect from gang members in your school as well as in the classroom.
In addition, this information can and should be used by parents who suspect something is amiss with their children, either by their dress or other signals the parent picks up on. The sad reality is parents are usually the last to find out their child belongs to a gang. By using the quick checklist on pages 93 and 94, you as the parent will be able to use some of the indicators listed to help you establish an open line of communication with your child.
I feel this is a very critical component in dealing with this issue and allows the parent to be somewhat knowledgeable of gang interactions. As a parent I wish you luck in dealing with your child and encourage you to seek out as many alternatives as you can to help you deal with these issues and help your child out of gang life before it's too late.
Finally, I hope this book will be used as a resource by educational colleges who wish to have a knowledgeable and well-rounded teacher entering into our public classrooms. By giving future educators this critical information they will be better prepared to deal with the gang issue by at least having a firm grasp of how gangs operate. As we learn more about gangs in public education we will eventually be able to combat this problem head on and find alternatives to help deal and educate this population.
The following chapter breakdowns will give you an idea of how GANGS IN OUR SCHOOLS AN EDUCATORS GUIDE is laid out. I have also included the information under the chapter-headings to give you a more thorough breakdown of the contents within each chapter.
AFTERWORD
GLOSSARY
INDEX
The following excerpt is from Chapter 2, taken from the book: Gangs in our Schools/ An Educators Guide.I hope you find the information useful. This excerpt is copyright protected,© 2007, by Gilbert R. Cabrera.
The week prior to the first day of school, we interviewed students and parents, not only to get to know the students but also their parents/guardians. This afforded us (staff), the opportunity to go through the suspension paperwork and examine the whys any particular student was suspended. I quickly realized these were not your typical students one would find in school. These students came with an extreme amount of baggage, which they carried around with them. I also realized a lot of the problems these students experienced in school had been carried over from their home life.
Talking with many of these parents shed a vast amount of insight as to why many of these potential students had so many problems, not only at school but also in the home. Many of the parents and grandparents we encountered were gang members themselves, not to mention alcoholics, drug addicts, or parents who had no vested interest in their children.
During the interview process I felt an extreme amount of sympathy for many of the students we interviewed. How quickly this would change once school actually started and I got to know them away from their parents. It's amazing how a child can act one-way in front of their parents and totally different away from them. Of course this is not an uncommon theme among teenagers, but these students took it to another level. But what I found extremely unusual was the number of students who were defiant even in front of their parents/guardians.
As I got to know these students, the ones who typically showed this type of defiance, they were usually the hardcore gang members. It became apparent to me they displayed this behavior to show everyone or anyone who had an invested interest in them how hardcore they were. Many were only there because they had not other alternative and were often mandated to be there by the court system.
The following excerpt is from Chapter 4, taken from the book: Gangs in our Schools/ An Educators Guide. I hopt you find the information useful. This excerpt is copyright protected, © 2007, by Gilbert R. Cabrera.
Next on the hierarchy chain of command are usually the semi-hardcore members, who can also be referred to as associates. These populations, of the gang, are members who have made a commitment to the gang and gang life. They are also the ones who will do whatever is necessary to gain hardcore status into the gang. They will typically do whatever is asked of them and will do it without question. Again the main objective is to gain recognition, thus allowing them to achieve hardcore status, which is the main goal of every member.
Semi-hardcore members have already been initiated into the gang but have not earned hardcore status, and are also not that far away from this achievement. As part of the initiation process these members were asked to do activities, which would often leave them with a long list of felonies. As a teacher you will not likely be privy to this type of information but all you have to do is ask. Many times members were extremely proud of the fact they had probation officers and would openly talk about it. They would often talk brazenly about their latest crime spree, drug deal, or incarceration experience. It is also likely you will notice a group of students listening to their experiences because the tales they spin are intriguing to the general population.
Often they will be required to commit a robbery at a store, a school, or any other place that has expensive equipment, which can be unloaded easily. In addition, they must commit drive-by shootings, usually against rival gang members. But this is not always the case as they are also asked to do random drive-bys. They will also be mandated to mug someone at random on the street. They will become extremely violent against the general population to prove to their leaders that they indeed are worthy of hardcore status. Remember two of the main reasons these children join a gang is for the recognition they receive and earning hardcore status with the latter being the ultimate goal.
If you get on the wrong side of one of these people at your school and they state they are going to cause you harm or take you out, I would take that threat seriously because they intend to do so. They may not do anything to you at school, but I would take precautionary measures to protect your home front. I would say this is frequent idle talk used to intimidate you, but for the most part many of these members take their actions very serious. Again, all they do is done to prove their status amongst their particular gang and you would be an admirable trophy to add to their mantles.
The following excerpt is from Chapter 7, taken from the book:Gangs in our Schools /An Educators Guide. I hope you find the information useful. This excerpt is copyright protected ©2007, by Gilbert R. Cabrera
All of the images associated with gangs, their symbols will likely draw the most interest to a prospective member. The gang tattoo or brand may play a big part in the decision to join a gang as well. Many times a gang will pick a symbol they will brand or tattoo on or into their bodies as part of the initiation process. This is similar to branding an animal for identification purposes. This will become a permanent mark to show the member is dedicated to the gang forever.
The symbol chosen will usually depict some form of violence and will glorify the gang name as well as their street names. It is common for these types of symbols to be hidden under their shirts in the form of tattoos. Eventually as they work their way toward hardcore status these symbols will eventually work themsleves down the arm. Every time they pass a certain qualification in the gang they are able to earn another tattoo or stripe. For the most part many members in school have not been in the gang long enough to earn these badges.
As hard as it is to remove a brand from ones body can also be correlated to getting out of a particular gang, and seemingly just as difficult. I will discuss some of these challenges in a later section titled jump-outs. This branding will usually take place out of school and will usually be done in some inconspicuous place on the body. But not all gangs adhere to this principle. Some members will just flat out expose their brands on a lower part of the arm or neck or anywhere visible on the body, so everyone will know their allegiances. This is especially true for hardcore members who thrive on showing off their affiliations to other gangs. A brand is definitely one way of showing a rival gang whom they pay allegiances too.
Return to the top of the pageThe following excerpt is from Chapter 11, taken from the book: Gangs in our Schools / An Educators Guide. I hope you find the information useful. This excerpt is copyright protected ©2007, by Gilbert R. Cabrera
A hardcore gang member will often earn status and respect by the number of times he gets suspended from school, among other qualifiers. So generally the more times he is sent to the office for gang problems the more status he will earn amongst his gang. If he gets caught performing a "21" on school grounds he is more than willing to accept the consequences which go with it, including suspensions, by not saying anything. This is especially true for the real hardcore members still in school. In addition, the member figures he is just going to get a few days off of school in the process.
I know as of this writing, many school districts are giving out stiffer and harsher penalties for jump-ins and recruitment in schools. In fact, in the state I reside, our Governor is planning to implement harsher penalties to gang members for doing any of the above in a school setting. This I feel will eliminate some of the problems these gangs represent, but I know many members will not let this be a deterrent for their activities.
The only deterrent I found was if the member had a probation officer who kept close contact with his probationer. The main problem I found is it was very difficult for a probation officer to keep close tabs on his probationers because their caseloads were and are often overloaded. But when faced with the situation the officer would often throw the member in lockup until his suspension was up and he was allowed back in school. But this tactic did not always work, as some members were willing to go to lock up. A member facing such a consequence stated to me he had business to take care of in there and he would be able to get it done while he was incarcerated. Obviously being in jail for this member was going to give him the opportunity to do business with whomever.
For the most part there will only be a few hardcore members still in school, with the rest already being expelled for their past actions. But you must understand there will always be hardcore members who will not be suspended or expellecd from school. The members who finish their schooling will be the monitors for the gang, the ones in charge of the gang away from their home turf. They will also be the ones responsible for all of the actions stated above to flow smoothly and adhere to the gangs' rules. You could almost say the gang mandates these members to stay in school, after all there must be someone left to make sure the gang's hierarchy is intact and represented in the school.
Unfortunately word usually gets around the school rather quickly when it comes to suspensions and gang members. If one member gets suspended from school it won't be long before a rival gang member will also be suspended. They will use this method to prove to each other that their particular gang is harder than the other. They will also try to become the biggest gang by having the largest representation in school.
Either way it becomes a competition between each other to see who has the hardest gang on campus. Unfortunately this will amount to a bunch of headaches for both the staff and administration, as they try to out do each other. The bottom line is there is no clear winner as to which gang is the hardest, everyone looses, members, staff, students, and schools.
The following excerpt is from Chapter 14, taken from the book:Gangs in our Schools / An Educators Guide. I hope you find the information useful. This excerpt is copyright protected ©2007, by Gilbert R. Cabrera
One thing you will notice with the really hardcore members is, in addition to always having a group around them, they always seem to be on the lookout for something bad to happen. I would say this behvior is displayed because of what happens to them on the street and leaves them wearily cautious of any of their surroundings, including school.
As I have stated throughout, you may be able to gain some of their trust, but they will never trust you completely, simply because you are an authority figure. In addition, if a hardcore member does not like you he can make your life a living hell while never raising a finger to you.
He will order all of his fellow members to harass you constantly and on a daily basis even going so far as to find out where you live to continue the harassment process. Just remember you are not alone in this as many teachers are harassed daily by members and it is easy to feel you are alone in this battle.
There are many options you can take as a teacher, with the most important being to document the behaviors and reporting it to your school resource officer or administrator. If I can give you one solid piece of advice, it woud be to always document incidents with these students. In addition, it would be in your best interest to always have a witness when you are disciplining them, just to have someone covering your back. Remember, harassing you is an infringement of your rights not only as an individual but also as a public official. It also prevents you from doing your job in an efficient and effective manner. If your administrator refuses to help you, I would contact your local union and vioce your concerns. You can be sure if this is bothering you it is affecting your ability to teach your classes.
Whatever you do, try not to succumb to the pressures this member is putting on you and most important fight back using any and all legal means, which are avaiable to you. In the long run if you have your documentation in order, the member will probably work themselves out of your classroom and school, eventually. I also understand there will be times when you just want to give up teaching all together and possibly even question why you got into the profession in the first place. Dealing with gang members daily, definitely gives you many opportunities to question your values about people. The only advice I can give you is to not give up on what you are doing and do not feel as if it is never going to end.
I remember having had many discussions with teachers in our school who could not take the pressure of being in that situation anymore. I would try to reassure them their efforts would be rewarded in the end, but to no avail, as they resigned anyway. It is unfortunate they had to have such a negative experience with the teaching profession. But I also feel they learned a lot about themselves as a person as well as about their teaching style in general. My only hope is they did not give up on their dream of teaching and were able to fulfill their vision elsewhere.
A final thought on hardcore members is for some reason, in their minds, they feel like they must always be in control. It could be because of their leadership status amongst the gang and feel it must carry over into their school lives. Regardless of how they act in your class they can become extremely violent if things do not go their way or they feel they are being cheated.
Remember, they earned hardcore status amongst their respective gangs because they are violent and do not hesitate to use violence to solve their problems. Even if their perceptions are not based on any facts, they will perceive this injustice and will definitely act upon it, whether it is justified or not.
My advice to you is to not let them ruffle your feathers and stick to your guns. Most importantly remember you are the adult no matter how much they may try to intimidate or threaten you. It is highly likely some members will respect you as an individual but because you are an authority figure, they could cause you harm only because the gang mandates them to do so.If they start to walk out of your class let them leave. It is better to get them out of the situation and call an administrator, than to try to restrain them and cause yourself or other students harm. Once they understand you will not give in, they will either not come back to your room or relent to your style. Either way, you win.