13- Gangs

The demographics of our school are unique. The school is zoned for both wealthy and needy areas, resulting in a nice mixture of socioeconomic statuses. Students are from upper, middle, and lower class homes, but the majority of our students receive free or reduced lunch. Most of the student population comes from the poorer neighborhoods. The wealthier families tend to send their children to local private schools. Many of the more modest homes have been owned by the same family for many years, thus the families living in those neighborhoods have children who are no longer school age.
Despite the economic status of their families, all students are ambitious and have the same great potential. High expectations are the keys to a good education. I have great difficulty viewing my students as anything other than sweet and harmless little darlings who want to learn. Unfortunately, in our faculty meeting this afternoon, we were told otherwise.
The District sent over a man to talk to us about gangs in the school system. He said that there are a growing number of younger gang members in our city. Gang related incidents are popping up in elementary schools all over the United States, and teachers are being warned to be on guard. Older gang members are using their children and siblings to engage in illegal activities, like transporting drugs and weapons. The younger students are beginning to mimic the behaviors of their older peers by wearing gang colors to school and flashing coded hand signals.
This sad cycle is infiltrating our town. In today’s meeting, we learned strategies for preventing gang association in our school. The possibility of school uniforms was brought up. Uniforms would make it more difficult for students to clique themselves with gang colors.
I was surprised to learn that gang symbols were discovered in several places around our school. The District speaker told us that gangs often use their symbols and graffiti as ways to spread cryptic messages. If a faculty member finds a gang symbol on campus, they are supposed to follow four specific steps: read and determine if the graffiti is a forewarning of illegal or dangerous activity, take a photograph of the graffiti, report the gang sign to the police, and then remove the graffiti as thoroughly as possible. Principal pointed out that they had already washed signs off several desks in the school and one off the wall in the boys’ bathroom.
This information was difficult for me to take seriously. It is hard to picture elementary aged children as anything other than loving and innocent. I wanted the guest speaker to tell us that it was all a big joke, but sadly, he was not laughing. Everyday, young children in our schools are peer pressured into joining in gang activities. These activities are small steps towards a future as a gang member. Kids often feel that they will be rejected or ridiculed if they do not comply with their older gang member’s demands. Some children do not have strong family support and do not feel loved. Joining a gang is a way for these kids to feel wanted and gives them a sense of identity and belonging.
I looked around at the cheerful little library and could barely believe that something as serious as gangs could affect our school. With happy murals painted on the hallways and flowers growing by front door, gangs seemed like a foreign issue.
I thought of Josh, who just this morning shouted out, “I got a gun at home, with fifty rounds!” I ignored him at the time, but later realized the severity of the child’s statement.
Today’s faculty meeting opened my eyes to the other worlds our students are coming from. I realize how important it is for me to make a positive impact on my students. I have to teach them that they are smart and worthwhile. If teachers can help their students feel loved and self-confident, they will help break the cycle of illegal gang activity.