Getting Out Of Gangs
You can walk away from gangs
For most gang members, the gang they belong to meets some
kind of need in their life: for safety, love, excitement
or money. When a gang member learns that he or she can
meet these needs in other ways, the gang may lose its
appeal, and this person may decide to walk away from the
gang life. However, being a gang member is far more dangerous
than the typical dangers faced by most of today's teenagers.
For that reason, the issue for many gang members is not
if they will decide to stop being a gang member. The issue
is whether they will live long enough to make that decision.
Make a plan for getting out:
When gang members decide that they want to leave the gang,
there are a few simple steps they can follow:
-
Never tell the gang
that you plan to leave. You may be beaten or even killed.
-
Begin spending your
time doing other things. Instead of spending time hanging
out with your gang friends, find something else to do
during that time. Look around. There are possibilities
everywhere: sports, recreation centers, Boys and Girls
Clubs, arts programs, drama, school activities, and
even spending time with your family.
-
Try to stop looking
like a gangster. For many gang members, dressing down
makes them feel safe because other people are afraid
of the way they look. As you begin to believe in yourself,
you will find that you don't need to make other people
feel afraid in order to feel good about yourself. Stop
wearing the clothes that you think have a gang meaning.
-
Find other things
to say, other things to do, and other people to do them
with. (HINT: This is much easier if you stop dressing
like a gang member first.) Stop hanging out with gang
members, talking like a gang member, and acting like
a gang member.
-
Get good at making
excuses. Your parents can probably help you with this,
but if not, try asking a teacher for help or maybe just
an older friend. Some former gang members have said
that when they started trying to leave the gang, they
stopped taking phone calls from their gang friends,
or had their family members tell friends from the gang
that they were busy or involved in some other activity
Find
people who will support you and believe
in you
Getting out of a gang isn't easy, but it
can be done. Young people across America
make the decision to have a better life
every day. Find people, especially adults,
who think that you are special and will
keep telling you that. In your mind, think
of a supportive adult wherever you go (school,
neighborhood, rec center) that you can touch
base with if you have a problem or need
to talk. Then use these people to help support
you as you change with good advice and assistance.
Finally, begin believing in your power to
change. Gangs are a dead-end street. No
matter who you are, what you have done,
or where you live, you deserve better.
Written by Michelle Arciaga,
and updated/reprinted with permission of
the Salt Lake Area Gang Project, Salt Lake
City, Utah.
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