Resources For Families – May 2015
What parents need to know about gangs:
While gang activity in Canada isn’t as prominent as it is in the United States, it is still an issue. It is important to be aware of what is happening so that you can help your child avoid becoming involved.
According to Public Safety Canada, gangs generally consist of young people who:
- Self-identify as a group
(usually they have a name) - Are generally perceived by
others as a distinct group - Are involved in a significant number of delinquent incidents that produce consistent negative responses from the community and / or law enforcement agencies.
About gangs in Canada:
- Canada has an estimated
7,000 youths involved in gangs - In 2008, 25 per cent of all gang-related homicides occurred in Alberta.
- While 90 per cent of gang-related homicides were committed in Edmonton or Calgary, rural communities are not immune.
- According to The Alberta Gang Reduction Strategy, “the top ten communities with the highest level of reported violent crime were all located in rural Alberta. Aboriginal communities are heavily represented in these figures.”
- One study found that 16 per cent of alleged young offenders who were classified as chronic offenders were responsible for 58 per cent of all alleged criminal incidents.
For more information about gangs in Canada and Alberta:
http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/gngs-cnd/index-eng.aspx#s1
Gang recruitment:
Gang activity is not just a big city problem. Gang members have expanded their recruitment efforts into suburban and rural areas and through social media channels.
According to the FBI National Gang Threat Assessment report, “A majority of gang members use the Internet for recruitment, gang promotion and cyber-bullying or intimidation.” Gangs use social media, such as Facebook, to promote their gang, post photos and boast about their lifestyle. That pattern exists in Canada as well. (See: http://metronews.ca/news/regina/573797/gangs-recruiting-members-through-social-media/, and https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/rgnzd-crm-brf-13/rgnzd-crm-brf-13-eng.pdf).
Although police are using social media strategies to counter this activity, parents should be aware of the influence of gangs on potential recruits through digital channels.
Staying out of gangs:
“Youth who are doing well, have good role models and support in their lives are least likely to be involved in gangs,” according to British Columbia’s Justice Education Society.
Youth who join gangs have these things in common:
- Minimal time spent with family
- Poor communication and constant conflict with family members
- Strong ties with the wrong friends
- Low school attendance or achievement
- Minimal participation in school sports or clubs
- High levels of school-based discipline and behavior challenges
- Negative and anti-social behavior (like vandalism, theft or a lot of time alone / playing video games)
- Unhealthy, excessive and unrealistic interest in gangs
- Lack of personal identity
Youth can avoid gang involvement if they:
- Develop a strong sense of self and have life goals
- Maintain good and supportive relationships with their family members or any other positive role model
- Make friends who have positive and similar interests and goals
- Attend school, try their best to do well and participate in school-based clubs and teams
- Become active members in their community activities, teams and clubs
- Talk to their parents and their friends to get support for achieving their goals
From: http://www.justiceeducation.ca/themes/framework/documents/yg-enfactsheet.pdf
Parent involvement:
Parent involvement is key to recognizing and preventing gang involvement.
- Continue to strengthen the relationship you have with your child
- Talk to your children about gangs and tell them how to avoid them. Let them know that they could be hurt or arrested
- Get to know your children’s friends and friend’s parents
- Talk to your child about resisting peer pressure. Offer to role play a pushy friend and offer tips to respond
- Set firm limits with children and teens. Be clear about expectations and consequences. Specifically, prohibit gang association, hanging out where gangs meet, attending parties sponsored by gangs, using gang hand signals, wearing clothing with gang affiliation
For more tips and specific information about gangs in your community, contact your local law enforcement agency. Also check out these websites:
http://justice.alberta.ca/programs_services/safe/Pages/GangReductionCommunityResources.aspx#agrn
http://www.youcan.ca/edmonton/programs/alberta-gang-reduction-network
http://www.justiceeducation.ca/themes/framework/documents/yg-enfactsheet.pdf