Parents, teachers need to see signs

Parents, teachers need to see signs

(Editor's note: Liza Weidle is vice president of the Wake County PTA Council and the author of a forthcoming book on parenting. Her "How To" columns appear on the first Wednesday of each month.)

Over the past five years, the number of gang members in North Carolina has jumped 40 percent.

And if gangs are in the community, they are surely going to influence our schools.

Signs of gang turf wars being fought on school campuses can be subtle, such as a graffiti marking that has been quickly covered by other markings. Other signs are often overlooked -- the way someone laces his shoes or a tiny star drawn on a baseball cap.

Durham County Deputy W. Keith Dodson, author of "The Gang P.L.A.G.U.E. that T.A.R.G.E.T.S. Your Community," says it can be hard to distinguish gang members from what he calls gang "going-to-bes."

School administrators can make a difference by putting policies in place that discourage gangs and gang activities.

And parents must play their part, too. Here are some signs of possible gang involvement by a child:

* He or she becomes more rebellious and refuses to be home by the curfew time you set.

* He or she has an unexplained source of large amounts of money.

* You see unusual markings that look like the graffiti seen in some areas or that repeat patterns of symbols such as a diamond shape or a 6-point star.

* Changes are seen in clothing styles, such as wearing only one color, wearing sports-affiliated clothing such as Chicago Bulls or Green Bay Packers when you know he or she is not interested in the team, and other oddities such as one collar always turned up or colorful shoelaces.

* You see unexplained markings such as burns, tattoos and deep gashes.

* He or she uses hand signs to communicate to friends.

RESOURCES:

www.gangsorus.com

gangseminar.biblicalwellness.org/home.asp

www.wakeptacouncil.org

www.wcpss.net

www.interactofwake.org/services/yes.html