Changing Course: Keeping Kids out of Gangs 1
Changing Course: Keeping Kids out of Gangs
Darnell Evans
Kaplan University
CM107:18
Professor Ann Reich
June 7, 2015
Changing Course: Keeping Kids out of Gangs 2
Due to my field of study, I am sticking with the article titled, “Changing Course: Keeping Kids out of Gangs” by Nancy Ritter, Thomas R. Simon, and Reshma R. Mahendra. Gang membership is dangerous and toxic in general, but a child as a member is heartbreaking. The article expresses the consequences of gang membership and why and where it happens to the children. A senior research associate of the National Gang Center named, “James C. Howell,” discusses how gang involvement encourages more active participation in delinquency, drug use, drug trafficking, and violence. It can lead to the following outcomes: arrest, incarceration, teen parenthood, school dropouts, unemployment, and even death.
Moving deeper into the article, I discovered a few options that are used to avoid gang membership for children. The options are: families, schools, and law enforcement personnel. In my opinion the family is the first line of defense. Parents should keep a firm grip when handling their children. Siblings should do their part as well to protect the young and lead by example. Just enough discipline and abuse free treatment can keep the child safe and at home. Too much could lead to aggressive behavior, grades dropping, lack of respect for the family and fear. Fear towards a child in regards to consequences of gang membership should be acceptable. Mistreatment towards the child can turn into rebellion and eventually desertion.
Changing Course: Keeping Kids out of Gangs 3
Additionally, parents can only do so much for their children. There are other forms of preventing gang membership besides proper parenting. Schools play a major role just as much as the parent. A child isn’t always going to have their parents...