Gang Awareness

1. Gang Awareness Health 9 Coach Prahl

2. Warm-Up Activity On a sheet of paper, write your opinion to the following questions. 1. What is your definition of a gang? 2. What are common traits of a gang? 3. How do gangs redefine the idea of family?

3. I. What is a gang? A gang is a group of people who band together for a common cause and who are involved in criminal activity.

4. Additional traits may include • Gang name • Common dress • Colors • Jersey numbers • Symbols (hand signs) • Tattoos • Graffiti (tagging) • Claim of a geographical location.

5. Why do people get involved in a gang? • Acceptance • Financial Gain (Money, Weapons, Drugs) • Family Tradition • Respect • Safety/Protection • Identity • Power • Excitement

6. A Gang is My New Family? • Family • Protection & Safety • Money • Job • Somewhere to live • Possessions • “Love” that otherwise is non-existent in current home • Support for each other to achieve a common goal

7. Ex-Gang Member Testimonial Ervin Chartrand talks about his past gang activity

8. Warm-Up Activity Rewind Modify your answers to the warm-up activity. Either change your answer, or add to what you initially wrote.

9. II. Protection & Avoidance • There are numerous gangs around us Schools, neighborhood, work place, possibly even family members • Numbers are increasing, and violence is on the rise • Not everyone will be approached by a gang to join or participate in illegal activity, BUT everyone needs to know how to be safe around gangs

10. Risk Factors of Involvement • Living in an area of gang activity • Poor decision making • Lack of positive support at home • Lack of positive activity outlets • Too much unsupervised free time • Lack of respect for authority (parents, teachers, law) • Past family gang involvement • Exposure to violent acts in community and media

11. Are there Gangs in Fairfax County? • There are approximately 100 different gangs • Some large, some few in numbers • Approximately 2000 gang members & associates • Many different races and cultures • Most are “turf” oriented • Some increase in organized criminal activity • Few gang members are school aged • Majority of school aged students are involved in positive, healthy activities

12. Avoiding Gang Activity • This does not always involve gang membership, but sometimes a gang member will recruit people for dangerous activity. • Can you name ways to avoid gang activity? • Say NO clearly • Walk away from the situation • Give a reason you can’t get involved • Change the subject • Provide an excuse • Use humor

13. Avoiding Gang Activity Choose which refusal strategy is being illustrated. say no - walk away - give a reason change the subject - provide an excuse – use humor #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6

14. Tips to Stay Safe • Stay away from gangs and gang members • Recognize & avoid the gangs recruitment strategies • Don’t act, look, or talk like a gang member • Gang related dress • Hand signs • Don’t copy gang graffitti • Don’t copy gang tattoos • Be aware of your surroundings

15. South County Student Killed: SSL vs. MS-13 • This victim attended your school “Teen Dead After Baseball Bat Attack” Sunday, 21 Mar 2010, 8:46 AM EDT BY MAUREEN UMEH/www.myfoxdc.com MOUNT VERNON, Va. Police say autopsy results show the teenager killed Friday evening in a brutal beating in an Alexandria area park died of blunt force trauma to the head. He has been identified as 16-year-old Christian Perez of the Lorton area. Witnesses say Perez was struck in the head with a baseball bat next to the tennis courts in the Woodlawn Neighborhood Park at Manor Drive and Sky View Drive. His family has not commented on the death, which police say was gang-related. Area residents say there is little traffic through the park during the day, but they say they have called the police in the past to check on drug activity after dark. Police are looking for suspects in the murder and say they have leads that they hope will let them catch the bad guys quickly.

16. “Dance with the Devil” – Immortal Technique Verse 1 I once knew a brotha whose real name was WilliamHis primary concern, was making a millionBeing the illest hustler, that the world ever seen…A corrupted young mind, at the age of thirteenHe never had a father and his mom was a friend…Her sons heart simultaneously grew colder…But he understood money never bought respectGot locked once and didn't hesitate to squealSo criminals he chilled with didn't think he was real…So he felt he had to prove to everyone he was evilA feeble-minded young man with infinite potential…Coincidentally dropped out of school to sell weed

17. “Dance with the Devil” – Immortal Technique (cont.) Verse 2 So Billy started robbing, anything he could doTo get his respect back, in the eyes of his crew…Stepped up to selling mothers and brothers the crack rock…Hit the jackpot and wanted to move up to cocaine…He wanted to be major like the cut throats and the thugs…Any one with a gun, can bust slugsAny brother with a red shirt can front like a blood…And they wanted to test him, before business startedSuggested raping a woman to prove he was cold heartedSo now he had a choice between going back to his lifeOr making money

18. “Dance with the Devil” – Immortal Technique (cont.) Verse 3 They drove around the projects slow while it was raining…Until they saw a woman on the street walking aloneThree in the morning, coming back from work, on her way home…They wrapped her shirt around her head and knocked her onto the floor…They got to the roof and then held her down on the ground…The shirt covered her face, but she screamed and clawed…A broken jaw mumbled for guards but they weren't concerned…One of them pulled out a brand new twenty-twoAnd if he killed her he was guaranteed a spot in the crew

19. “Dance with the Devil” – Immortal Technique (conc.) Verse 4 Right before he pulled the trigger, and ended her lifeHe thought about the cocaine with the platinum and iceAnd he felt strong standing along with his new brothersCocked the gun to her head, and pulled back the shirt coverBut what he saw made him start to cringe and stutterCause he was starring into the eyes of his own motherShe looked back at him and cried, cause he had forsaken her…His whole world stopped, he couldn't even contemplateHis corruption had successfully changed his fateAnd he remembered how his mom used to come home lateWorking hard for nothing, cause now what was he worthHe turned away from the woman that had once given him birthAnd crying out to the sky cause he was lonely and scared…

20. So what’s the message in this song? • What is this rapper trying to say? • What influenced Billy’s actions? • Why did he resort to gang involvement?

21. Billy’s Fallout • He wanted to make money • He had no father figure in his life • His mother was non-existent in his upbringing • Dropped out of school • Sold drugs (marijuana, cocaine) • He had to “prove” himself to his peers • Wanted to earn RESPECT

22. The Results • This is exactly what gangs are looking for in their recruitment of new members. • They want the ones who are looking for acceptance from anyone who will give it to them. • He didn’t have anyone positive in his life to turn to for correct direction. • They feed off impressionable people.

23. III. Common gang breakdown • There are hundreds of gangs and violent organizations around the world. • They all come together for a common cause • Illegal money-making tactics • Robbery, auto-theft, money laundering, drug/weapon trafficking, fraud • Represent respect, pride, loyalty, and family • They will do whatever they can to ensure that their gang is taken care of financially and numerically.

24. MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha) • Country of origin: El Salvador • Hispanic male and female member • U.S. concentration in Southern CA, and northern VA • Fled E.S. during Civil War (‘80-’92)to L.A, accepted by 18th St. because of combat training • Original intent to protect Salvadorian immigrants • Identification: Number 13 (M is 13th letter), blue or black, sports jerseys with #13, tattoos • Drug/arms trafficking, robbery, murder • Labeled “most dangerous gang in America”

25. 18th Street • Origin: Los Angeles, California • Hispanic membership (Mexico, Central America) • 2009, estimated 30K - 50K members, 80% illegal • 18-second beating for disrespect to gang/leader • Income: Cocaine and marijuana distribution • Assault, auto theft, homicide, robbery, drive-bys • Identification: Black and blue, jersey #18 • Recruit elementary and middle-school aged youth

26. Crips • Origin: Los Angeles, California (1960’s) • Predominately African American members • Jumped-in, armed robbery, murder for membership • Identification: wearing the color blue • Bloods are number one rival gang • Sell drugs and weapons for profit • Known members: Snoop Dogg, Ice T, Easy E, Nate Dogg, Warren G, Ice Cube

27. Bloods • Origin: Compton, California • Raymond Washington, 15 years old • Formed for protection from crips • Focus on loyalty and violence • Identification: red, also recently brown to represent “dried” blood • Membership smaller than crips, but just as violent • Known members: Tupac Shakur, Suge Knight

28. Almighty Vice Lord Nation • Origin: Chicago, Illinois • 1958 by a group of teen African Americans incarcerated in a juvenile facility • Allies: Bloods, Latin Kings • Rivals: Crips, Folk Nation, Gangster Disciples • Known for drug trafficking, robbery, money fraud • Identification: Five-pointed star (Love, Truth, Peace, Freedom and Justice), Upside-down pitchfork (show disrespect to Gangster Disciples

29. Yakuza • Country of origin: Japan • Traced back to 1612, spread worldwide after WW2 • Like the mafia, they operate as organized crime • Gambling is main money maker (Las Vegas) • Members smuggle narcotics into the U.S, and in return hand-guns and pornographic material… both illegal in Japan • Predominately male membership • Primary identification: Tattoos, but none are visible when the men are fully clothed.

30. More gangs • African American • Gangster Disciples • Folk Nation • Latino • Southside Locos • Mexican Mafia • Latin Kings • White • Aryan Brotherhood • Ku Klux Klan • Pagans • Hell’s Angels

31. Videos The dangers of gang initiations 1:08 Graffiti and Tagging 1:28 (0:55 deals with Northern Virginia) Hand signs-flashing 1:50

32. Gangs in the News • News reports claim that gang activity is on the decline in Northern Virginia/DC.

33. 2009 Fairfax Co. Youth Survey Survey asks teens about drugs, alcohol, gangs, cheating, just to name a few. Grade No. Student Surveyed FCPS Enrollment 8th 10,575 32.9% 10th 9773 34.2% 12th 8875 32.9% % is based on enrollment of each grade separately

34. 2009 Fairfax Co. Youth Survey 3.6% of surveyed have been involved in a gang Down 0.5% from 2008 Hispanic: 7.2% African American: 6.1% White: 2.1% Asian/Pacific Islander: 2.7% “Involvement” in a gang is based on the students definition of a gang.

35. Quiz !!! • You will have 15 minutes to complete this 35 point quiz. • This quiz will test your knowledge of everything we learned about today in class. • When you are finished, turn it over, and it will be collected once everyone has finished. This copy will be on the SMARTboard for assistance.

36. Gang Awareness Review So what have you learned today? Let’s test to see if you remember some important information. Let’s play JEOPARDY!

37. Conclusion • 3 things or concepts you learned today • 2 questions you are still in need of an answer or clarification • 1 connection to your own life that you would like to share

38. Next Class – Refusal Strategy Skit • First 45 minutes: Preparation • Last 45 minutes: Presentation • Assignment • You & a friend will perform a role playing skit. • You will act out a situation including methods of saying no, avoiding the situation, and staying safe. • Create healthy alternatives you can be involved in instead of getting mixed up with a gang. • 25 points. Assessment rubric.