Gangs

What is a gang?

A gang is a group of people who gather together. It's not always a bad thing. It's bad if they gather together to do negative stuff. Often, being a member of a gang you'll be made to commit crime, and to sometimes do some quite dangerous behavior to prove your loyalty to the gang. They call that an initiation service. It's really important that you're only a member of a gang if you're there by your own free will and it's for something positive, not negative.

Why shouldn't I join a gang?

As long as it isn't a negative gang, I wouldn't say not to join a gang. However, if you feel that by joining a gang you are at risk of being forced into criminal activity or leading a dangerous lifestyle, or hurting other people then it's not a good idea.

I am being pressured to join a gang What should I do?

It's very important that you tell somebody, because if gangs are operating in a negative way, they could put quite a lot of pressure on you and it may be physical pressure. Speak to an adult that you trust. You can ring Crime stoppers in confidence. If you know your local police station or if you know of a local beat police officer, it might be good to talk to them. You could ask to speak in confidence, but the important thing is to tell somebody and get some support.

I am being picked on by a gang?

It is very important that you tell somebody because it can get out of hand. So you'll need maybe to make sure that you are not alone when you walk around, and take steps to get yourself some protection while this is going on.

I'm from a broken Home my friends tell me being in a gang is just like having a family is this true?

It can appear to be like that, because people are giving you attention. There is a feeling of siblings, being brothers or sisters, in a gang. But the important thing to remember is that, often, those same brothers and sisters will force you into criminal activity or threaten you. These gangs will also hurt other people, so it may be a negative family, and it may be better that you're better off without that particular family.

There is a gang where I live they scare everyone is there anything I can do?

You can talk in confidence to crime stoppers. You can also, if you wanted to, go talk to the police about what is happening. But, not obviously to put yourself at risk, if they know that you're talking out against them then you might put yourself at risk.

Gangs get a lot of bad press why is this and is it true?

The media only really report on bad news. They wouldn't report on a gang, for example, that painted an old ladies house and had that kind of activity in mind. Unfortunately a lot of gangs do expect their gang members to carry out criminal activities, to commit crimes, to hurt other people and to make other people frightened. In those cases it probably is true.

I don't have many friends should I join a gang?

That are lots of way that you can meet friends. If you're at school, you can go to after school clubs where perhaps people gather together because they've got a common interest. Gangs aren't necessarily going to be your friends. Friends are people who are there for you unconditionally and usually membership of gangs is very conditional of you acting a certain way or doing certain things.

I want to join a gang but they say I have to do something bad before I can join should I?

Most gangs will ask you to do something as an initiation ceremony in order to prove your loyalty. Normally, that can be quite dangerous or it can involve you hurting somebody, either financially by robbing them or physically by hurting them in a fight or attacking them. You need to think long and hard about the effects of your behavior if you try to do something that the gang demands.

I'm in a gang and we've done something really bad what should I do?

I think most people who've done something bad know what they should do, and that is to tell either the police or somebody they trust, an adult they trust, so that they can get some help. And often it's better to tell people rather than to be discovered. People aren't nearly as angry with you if you come forward and admit to something. Also, organizations like Child line can give you some support and if necessary we can talk on your behalf, if you don't feel you can tell somebody, we can tell somebody for you.

Why do kids join gangs?

Everybody wants to feel they belong, and if a young person doesn't have very good group of friends or maybe doesn't go to school, a lot of young people who bunk off school and find their way to gangs because they feel they've got something in common, usually a negative thing they got in common. So, it's about people needing to belong basically.