Some teens think that being apart of a gang is cool.  Others belong to gangs because they give them a sense of family and belonging.  The fact is that gangs can ruin your life because all of the trouble you'll get into by being with them.  You just don't join a gang.  You must be initiated into it and that can lead you down a path you may not want to walk.

European-American gangs date back to the 1780s.  Street gangs in the U.S. can be traced back to the 1800s.  Gangs are not new.  They gained momentum in the U.S. in the late 1960s.  The Vietnam War was raging and poverty was growing in America.  Poor socio-economic conditions across the U.S. led to the formation of gangs and they've been going strong since that time.  It's been reported that they are 500,000 gang members in the U.S.  That's the size of a large city!

Initiation into a gang

To be initiated into a gang you'll either are "jumped" which means you fight the most powerful gang members for 30 seconds.  Another initiation tactic is to get "walked in" which means you have a friendship with the leader of the gang.  You could be "trained into" a gang.  This is when you have sex with all of the guy or girl gangsters.  If you do something worthy like steal something or kill a member of a rival gang then you can become apart of the gang.  It's amazing how well organized gangs are.  They have all of these rituals and initiation that it's like becoming part of a secret society!

Signs, symbols and colors

Gangs usually have their own signs, symbols, and colors.  In most urban areas you can see gang symbols on city walls.  Graffiti or tagging is usually the handy work of gangs.  Skateboards also tag some of the work could be done by them as well.

1.  Colors.
2.  Hand signs.
3.  Clothing such as shoes, baggy pants, bandannas, football team jackets (right color), and other accessories can be found in gangs.
4.  Tattoos are popular.
5.  Pagers.
6.  Weapons such as guns, knives, and chains.

If you're from a rival gang and wear another gang's colors that could mean trouble for you.  Many teens wind up in the hospital or morgue because they wore the wrong color or they're trying to intimidate rival gangs.  This is not a smart move.

This concludes Part 1 of "Teens Stay Away from Gangs."  Part 2 will address why teens join gangs and how they can avoid them.  If you're approached to join a gang, just say no!  Stay out of fights in school, keep your focus on school, and do the best you can.  You will make it if you really desire to do so!