The Danger of

Joining a
Gang.
 So You Think
You Want to Join a
Gang?
• Think again. Joining
a gang is dangerous
business that can
ruin your life.
• Young people involved in gangs are much more
likely to be victims of physical violence or gun
crimes.
• They are more likely to be victims of retaliation
and rival gang violence than non-gang
members.
• Gang involvement increases your risk of being
arrested, having to go to court, being put on
probation or parole, being jailed, injured, or
even killed.
 Other Consequences
to Think About...
• You lose the trust of your family.
• You gain more enemies than
friends.
• You may be feared, but you will
not be respected.
• You could become a drop out
limiting your future
employment opportunities.
• You could become a substance
abuser addicted to drugs or
alcohol.
 Joining a Gang
Affects Your Family
• When you join a gang your family
becomes involved too and you put
them at risk for violence, injury or
death because of your actions for the
gang.
• They may live in fear - for your safety
and for their own.
• They may have to relocate to protect
you or pay expensive legal fees or
hospital bills to take care of you if you
become incarcerated or injured.
The Realities of Gang Membership
• As a gang member, you may get a sense of belonging
and feel like you have friendship and love. You may
feel like you're part of something or that you have a
family. You may feel respected, valued and protected
from enemies and rivals. But cruel initiation
ceremonies, violent punishments for violating gang
rules, doing things you don't want to when you know
they're wrong, always having to watch your back,
and the possibilities for injury, incarceration, or
death are the realities that you will face if join a
Other things you should know:
• You have to study and memorize the gang knowledge or face punishments.
• You have to follow all their rules.
• You always have to represent the gang, putting you at risk for attacks by rivals.
• You always have to do what the leaders tell you to.
• The gang will turn on you if they feel they can't trust you, or if another gang
member wants to take your place, or if they just don't like you anymore.
• They'll say that they will but they won't pay your bills if you wind up in the
hospital or need a lawyer. They won't take care of your family or your kids.
They won't visit you in jail or send you money. They'll just cut you loose
because you're of no use to them anymore.
 Gang Initiations
• When you decide to
join a gang, you have
to be initiated into it.
Initiations always
involve some sort of
physical and
emotional abuse or
risk for involvement
with the police.
 Gang Initiations
• Beat - Clicked - Jumped In - An initiation
where you have to fight multiple members
of the gang all at once. The fights can last
anywhere from seconds to several minutes
and they are violent, physical beatings.

• Sexed In - Some gangs initiate

females by having them have
sex with all the ranking
members of the gang, or the
members who are at the
initiation.
 Gang
Initiations
• Commit a Crime - Gangs may
expect you to commit a crime
to get into the gang. You could
be hurt, or you may have to
hurt someone else. You could
also be caught, arrested, and
jailed.
•It even led
you to
death......
 How Gangs
Will Try to
Recruit You
• Gangs are always looking for
recruits. Older members may
hang out near your school or
other places where young people
go to see who they might attract.
Active members who are in
school are on the look out for
students who may be by
themselves, or who are being
picked on or bullied, or who cause
They may offer to be friends with
you or protect you. They may give
you small bits of gang knowledge or
history to make you curious about
them and to get you to think about
joining them. They may invite you to
parties where there's no violence
and everyone is having a good time.
There may be drugs, alcohol or
weapons there. They'll show off
clothes, shoes, jewelry and money;
things that may glamorize the
lifestyle and lead you to believe that
you can have those things too just by
joining the gang.
What they won't tell you is what they had to do
to get those things and the commitments to
crime and violence they had to make. They had
to rob, steal, and commit violent acts against
rival gangs and innocent victims. Are you
willing to make those same commitments?
How to Avoid Gangs and
Delinquency?
The gang can't recruit
you if you aren't
available or if you
present yourself as a
person who they know
won't join.
Set positive goals for
yourself and your
future. (Ultimately,
the gang doesn't care
what happens to
you.)

Think and act for

yourself. (Make your own
decisions. Don't let a
gang to tell you how to
act or what to do.)
Choose your friends
wisely. (If they're asking
you to hurt others,
commit crime, or put
yourself at risk, are they
really your friends?)

Consider the
consequences of the
choices you make. (Will
your choices help you or
harm you in the long
run?)
• Take school seriously • Pursue a hobby or interest.
and be a good (Wouldn't you rather be drawing
student. (Earn your that picture, writing that poem,
respect as a person playing on that team, or singing
who tries to do good that song than in suspension,
things, not as a performing community service,
criminal who will be going before the judge in court,
looked down upon.) or locked up in the detention
center?)
• Get a job and • Enjoy being a young person. (It
earn your only seems like a long time
money. until you become an adult. If
(Selling you distance yourself from
drugs, trouble, you'll have your whole
robbing and life ahead of you.
stealing are • If you join a gang, you might
not careers.)
not get very far.)
•When you don't know what to do, ask
for help from a trusted adult. (Parents,
family members, teachers, mentors,
counselors, clergy, police officers -
there's no limit to the choices of adults
you can turn to. Everyone wants to help
you.)
References:
• https://stophoustongangs.org/
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