Assignment 16  Lesson 14 q

Gang scene

 

Locate information on the internet and from your school district that describes the gang scene in your school, school district, community or city. Determine the names, symbols, garments, gang structure, effect on your school, and/or effect on you. How do you plan to interact with gang 'wannabees' or members in your school, classroom
or laboratory?

Springfield Public Schools have a student population of roughly 15,000 students, about 8000 being in middle and high school. According to an article by Jim Barlow, it reports that a recent school-district survey estimated that there are about 800 gang members in the Springfield schools. This number seems too large to be true, but reality says it could be correct. According to Bodinger-deUriarte, the number of people that join gangs has rarely exceeded 10% even in highly impacted areas, such as urban centers. The gangs in our small urban area are outgrowths of the Chicago gang scene.

While teaching seventh grade at Grant Middle School, I attended several in-services provided by the Student Assistance Program to learn about gangs and their activities. We discussed the ways students display gang affiliation, such as raising one pant leg and wearing particular colors. This was highlighted so it would be noticed by the teacher so they could be sent to the principal, guidance dean or SAP leader. Our building also kept current about the gang scene in Springfield by keeping in contact with the police and other community organizations. By arming ourselves with information we felt like we After attending the in-service I was very aware of what the students were wearing. Several of my students tried to portray themselves as gang members even if they weren't really a part of a gang. When I saw that my students were trying to imitate the behavior of gang members, I tried to talk to them about it. Most said they were just imitating their older friends. I don't believe any of them were in gangs when they were in my class, but suspect that several have become members since.

Students join gangs in order to feel a sense of belonging. Glasser would argue that if schools met all the needs of students there wouldn't be a need for gangs. In addition to a sense of belonging, many students join gangs for protection. That is the case in many areas of Springfield. Many of those members don't feel safe in their own neighborhoods and feel the need to join a gang to keep safe. 

Gang members wear specific apparel to show gang affiliation or "colors". They dress in a basic style or color chosen by gang leaders. In an attempt to limit the infiltration of gangs in the school environment, in 1997 the Springfield School Board adopted a dress code that includes prohibiting students from wearing gang related clothing or otherwise openly displaying gang symbols. However, as pressure from police and school officials increases, gang members may change their appearance to become less noticeable. Today, many members wear professional sports team jackets, caps and shirts, so identifying them is more difficult. Law enforcement officials now depend on other criteria and intelligence rather than clothing to identify gang members. In other words, don't let appearances fool you, clothes don't necessarily identify who is in a gang and who isn't. (Gang Awareness Page)

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, minority students living in urban areas are not the only ones who attend schools with gang members. Similar numbers of white students and minority students report gangs in their schools. Also, similar numbers of students living in suburban neighborhoods and students living in urban neighborhoods report gangs in their schools. Not surprisingly, gang presence in schools is strongly associated with increased student reports of victimization and fear. (NCES) Because of a court ordered desegregation order, all of our schools in Springfield are mixed. This means that gangs could be anywhere. 

The Springfield School District believes that all students to the right to:

To meet this end, a district wide discipline handbook is followed in all cases for certain offenses. Springfield has four levels of misconduct. Level I acts are misbehaviors which impede the orderly operation of the classroom, school and/or bus. Level II involves misbehaviors whose frequency or seriousness tend to disrupt the learning climate of the school. It includes displaying gang membership or affiliation. Disciplinary options range from conferences to in-house suspension. Level III acts involve acts directed against persons or property whose consequences may seriously endanger the health and safety of others in the school. Participating in gang activities and gang/group intimidation fall into this category. These acts are punishable by suspension, both in and out house, and alternative programs. The final category, Level IV, involves actions which are so serious that they always require at least temporary removal of the student from the school. Anyone participating in gang/group violence will be assigned to ten days out-of-school suspension, referral to law enforcement authorities, and also will result in automatic referral to the District Student Review Committee which could result in additional disciplinary action. (Informational and Discipline Handbook)

 

 

References:

Books:

Charles, C.M. Building Classroom Discipline.

Springfield Public Schools. Informational and Discipline Handbook.

Experiences:

Grant Middle School, SAP trainings, 1996-1999.

Websites:

Barlow, Jim. Partnership Illinois: Former Gang Member Works With Violence-prevention Program in Springfield.

Burnett, Gary. Gangs in Schools.

Memphis Organized Crime Unit. Gang Awareness Page.

National Center for Educational Statistics. Gangs and Victimization at School.

Springfield Public Schools.