HISPANIC YOUTH GANG AFFILIATION CANDIDATE PROFILE
Children falling into 5 or more of these 13 descriptions are noted as highly at-risk for involvement in minority youth gang affiliation and potential problems with the law.
1. Low-income minority male child aged 12 -16.
2. Currently in household run by a single parent.
3. If father is living, he is likely uninvolved, markedly dysfunctional as parent, or incarcerated.
4. Is not accustomed to having to follow rules or consistent standards of daily operation.
5. English is not the primary language at home. Very often, recent immigrant.
6. Deficient reading skills.
7. Poor academic performer. Likely to have associated learning and/or emotional disabilities and attention span deficiency
8. Poor verbal communicator.
9. Exhibits some traits as a follower with low self-esteem as to academic and social skills.
10. Has poor anger control, impulse control and conflict resolution skills.
11. By the age of 15 has historically exhibited difficulty associating actions with consequences.
12. Has started a trend in becoming involved in discipline problems at school, in neighborhood.
13. Has started a trend toward near-exclusive alliance with "second-family" friends.
If a child has grown up in a home where parents or other siblings are currently involved or have previously have been involved in gang lifestyle, the child is almost certainly destined to have a penchant for gang affiliation.
Rob Gallardo/ARYBA TX-NM - Operation No Gangs
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Gang affiliation can be avoided if a parent takes deliberate steps and involvement early.
A child who is successful at school and in the civic realm is one who has typically been influenced by parents and important others who
a. provide the child with a panorama of positive experiences and attainable options (a series of successes)
b. encourage the child to know himself, expand his skills and interests
c. have assured the child that she is a loved, special and unique "creation," and, as a human, has a purpose for living and a role that figures prominently in the grander scheme of life
d. have taught by example patience, tolerance and respect for human life
e. have showed that life-long learning is expected and can be exciting and fulfilling
f. have convincingly conveyed to the child that hard work, working smart and foresight are critical to success in the personal, social, academic and spiritual realms
g. have helped the child develop excellent verbal and written communication skills and have expressed that body language is a form of communication that can unwittingly decisively make or break a situation
h. have allowed the child to recover from defeat and difficulty through the development of practical coping skills and resilience
i. have passed on to the child traits of Stick-to-it-ive-ness and a positive attitude
In passing these on to our kids, we are passing on protective factors to the community.
These are no magic rules or guidelines. These are just plain-and-simple common-sense parenting practices that even non-stellar parents can utilize daily.
Rob Gallardo/ARYBA TX-NM
All Rights Reserved:
Operation Prevention (915) 471-9139 Anthony, NM
No
Gangs
Education
Jail Diversion
Advocacy
(505) 201-4365
El Paso, Texas
Cd. Juarez, Chih
Copyright 2007
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