Troubled Teens Resources

The most powerful form of teen crisis intervention is when a former addict uses their life as a testimony to the power of choice and the possibility for change. In terms of intervention in the lives of those troubled teenagers that are caught up in gangs, it is extremely effective for them to hear from one of their own who succeeded in escaping gang life. Leaving drugs and crime is one thing. Leaving a gang is another proposition.

“…eventually the life of a gang member wore on him. And on his family. He tried leaving the gang, but leaving a gang is like leaving a cult, Lilly said. The members are brainwashed. One night, men jumped him and beat him for trying to leave.

“I had a blood clot in my head from the beating,” said Lilly, now 31. “My eyes were so swollen I couldn’t see.”

Through the beating and other incidents, Lilly saw his mother Janet’s disappointment.

“She came to the hospital every day crying,” Lilly said. “And she left every day crying. I realized I had to make a change. It’s a terrible thing to shatter a mother’s dreams.”

Lilly returned to running, an early passion in life. He did it minus the use of one leg, an old gang shooting had deprived him of his other one. He has gone on to become a world class athlete.

“Lilly is now a professional wheelchair racer and motivational speaker. He speaks to kids about the importance of choices.

“I tell them life is about what kinds of choices you make, and how your choices will affect you for the rest of your life,” Lilly said before the race began in Fairbanks last Friday. “I’m a living example of that.”

(Source)

You let the appearance of the first tattoo slide. You think it is probably the influence of your teenage daughter’s new boyfriend. You feel like you’re walking on eggs around her, so you haven’t mentioned that you thoroughly dislike this young man. He has the same tattoo on his forearm and you are sure that that is a bad sign. It reminds you of a brand of ownership. And that is what your daughter acts like - she acts like this new boy owns her. And then there is the rough treatment that you’ve witnessed. What is it all adding up to? Could your daughter possibly be involved in a gang and what is the best method of intervention if she is?

If your teenager is lonely or has always been unpopular in school, if your at-risk teen is angry and accusatory, blaming the world for their every ill, they are prime candidates for the seduction of belonging in a gang. Intervention is necessary early on to prevent the developing ties of loyalty and identity from becoming an unbreakable bond.

Here are some factors that contribute to a troubled teen’s attraction to gang life.

• Racism: When young people encounter both personal and institutional racism (i.e., systematic denial of privileges), the risks are increased. When groups of people are denied access to power, privileges, and resources, they will often form their own anti-establishment group.
• Poverty: A sense of hopelessness can result from being unable to purchase wanted goods and services. Young people living in poverty may find it difficult to meet basic physical and psychological needs which can lead to a lack of self-worth and pride. One way to earn cash is to join a gang involved in the drug trade.
• Lack of a support network: Gang members often come from homes where they feel alienated or neglected. They may turn to gangs when their needs for love are not being met at home. Risks increase when the community fails to provide sufficient youth programs or alternatives to violence.
• Media influences: Television, movies, radio, and music all have profound effects on youth development. Before youth have established their own value systems and are able to make moral judgments, the media promotes drugs, sex, and violence as an acceptable lifestyle.

from Why Do Young People Join Gangs?

A parent must seek intervention if they suspect that their at-risk teen is flirting with the idea of joining a gang. Without early intervention, the teen quickly assigns all of their loyalty to this destructive force and it becomes more difficult to break the bonds the longer the affiliation is continued. The link above will guide parents towards the appropriate steps towards intervention.