living “that life”? Jessica

talks about her life saying

“every day I walk out of my

house, going to school, I’m

in fear of what can happen to

me. Not knowing if I’m go-

ing to make it back home

or not. That eats up my

soul every day.”. Are you

willing to give up your

way of life and security for

that “petty money” and

street love? Is that the kind

of legacy you want to

leave? Do you want to be

remembered as a scared little

gang banger, with no pur-

pose but sex, drugs and

money?

The average high school

student at Shades Valley

High school or JCIB has

heard or said the notorious

saying “You Aint about that

life”, which refers to the

“thug life”. The thug life,

glorified in some ways,

evolves a relentless fight

for money, with out a care

about from where it came,

and a loss of individuality

in the search for love. Jes-

sica, 21, Former member of

the Black Disciples, warns

youth saying "You need to

find something else better to

do to occupy your time be-

cause the streets don't love

you, they just take you away

from the people who do" Are

you willing to loose your self

searching for a love in all the

wrong places? Rival gang

member, Dre, 20, A member

of the Black P Stones says

“This don’t make me happy.

You think I want to stand on

the corner & sell drugs to

other black folks, and de-

stroy my community for

some petty *** money?”. He

refers to this “thug life” as “a

type of hell for victims and

victimizers.”. Are you will-

ing to loose your humanity,

Where a child lives has a

large effect on whether or not

a child becomes involved in

gang life. Living in urban ar-

eas increases the chances of a

child becoming involved in

gang activities. Living in im-

poverished areas, full of un-

employment, that lackmean-

ingful jobs can put your child

at larger risk of becoming in-

fluenced by gangs (Curry and

Thomas, 1992; Fagan, 1990;

Hagedorn, 1988, 1991; Huff,

1990; Vigil, 1988).

Race wise, Sadly, minority chil-

dren of any house hold demo-

graphic are more likely to be-

come gang affiliated, than Cau-

casian children that come from

a two-parent home. All these

factors are cumulative to your

child's risk of joining a gang.

A r e Y o u A b o u t T h a t L i f e ?

H o w c a n w h e r e a n d h o w y o u l i v e e f f e c t

y o u r c h a n c e s o f b e c o m i n g g a n g a f f i l i a t e d ?

A n i n f o r m a l M a g a z i n e o n G a n g V i o l e n c e b y

L a T r e l l C l i f f o r d W o o d

That Life

Friday Febuary 22, 2013 Volume 1, Issue 1

Potential gang members dis-

play specific characteristics.

Priory I stated that females

with a low amount of commit-

ment to school are more likely

to become involved in gangs.

It has also been found that

who children choose to asso-

ciate with is a key factor in

their potential risk of gang

affiliation. Children who asso-

ciate with their antisocial

peers over prosocial peers are

more likely to join gangs.

Lack of identity and stability

are more determining factors

in children’s chance of be-

coming associated with a

gang. An example of that

would be the previously in-

troduced, Black P Stones

member, Dre. When it

comes to reason to join a

gang Dre says “I joined a

gang to make my name well

known, and do something.

Just make my name known

somewhere” this shows his

wishes to have some sort

of identity to the world.

If your child, a friend, or

a family member, shows

these characteristics, as

well as tendency to re-

solve conflicts with

threats, they may be sub-

ject to gang affiliation.

proven wrong in Latina

Members, who gener-

ally join as rebellion

against the suppressive

box to which they are

categorized to be the

quiet oppressed “wifey”

type. A significant in-

creased risk factor lies

with in commitment to

education. Research

shows that girls with a

low commitment to

school are more likely

to be involved in gangs.

Police records state that

about 90% of gang

members are male, but

research proves that to

be incorrect. Recent

studies show that about

34% of gang members

are females, and though

it is stereotyped that

females involved in

gangs are either tom-

boys or sex object, it is

C h a r a c t e r i s t i c s f o r P o t e n t i a l

H a n d S i g n s

P a g e 2

G i r l s i n G a n g s

These are symbols associ-

ated with the Peoples na-

tion Gangs.

T h a t L i f e

These are symbols associ-

ated with the Folk nation

Gangs.

In most states, written threats of bodily harm to a person constitutes a second de-

gree felony, but if you have recieved a threat of any form, contact the police imme-

diatly. Especially if you feel your safety is at jepardy. Also if you have wittenessed

a crime, contact the police or your state witness protection services. In doing so

you can prevent future threats and violence towards your self, your community,

and society.

nothing in common with the

Ku Klux Klan, but in the end

both have the same goals.

Protection of territory

and lifestyle from their ri-

vals, any people that were not

part of the 'supremacy'. So

why be categorized as the

present day KKK? Think

before you turn to the streets

for answers, because in the

and It will turn you into what

you hate. A supressor.

Today, about 10 to 30% of

gang population is Cauca-

sian. It can be assumed that

some of this population

makes up gangs like the Ku

Klux Klan. The KKK can be

considered part of the roots

and origin of the growth of

gangs, and is still considered

a gang threat today. Minority

gangs can say they have

N o H o p e ?

D e a l i n g W i t h T h r e a t s

S o m e t h i n g L i k e t h e K K K

P a g e 3 V o l u m e 1 , I s s u e 1

Professionals believe that prevention strategies should target the afflicted and those at risk to be effected. Just

like with a virus, this belief states take healthful precautionary steps to prevent the onset of gang affiliation, and

treat the afflicted. The large question is what if gang affiliation is more like a genetic syndrome? What if you

can only treat the symptoms? The gunshot wounds in hospitals, the violent acts with jail time. What if in the

end all we can do is slow the already onset outcome, death? Well there are positive outlets and alternatives

proven to be effective, like Homeboy Industries. Their strategies include efforts that focus on environmental

factors and the provision of improved opportunities.

Address: 1320 S. Santa Fe Ave

Phone:(213) 623-7955

During Hours: (213) 623-1574

Hours:Monday – Friday

9:00 AM. – 5:00 PM

Email :homeboysilkscreen@homeboyindustries.org

Home Boy Industries offers:

Tattoo Removal

Employment services

Case Management

Mental health, Substance abuse, and Do-

mestic violence services

Curriculum and Education

C o n t a c t H o m e b o y :

Hope and Oppurtunity for recently

Incarcerated Men and Women

HELP FOR THE AFFLICTED