■ Get Involved. Become aware of what’s going on in your child’s school, neighborhood and community.

■ If you have a neighborhood association, get them involved to watch the gang crime patterns.

■ Learn about gangs and signs of gang activity.

■ Report incidents such as vandalism, loitering, and drug activity to the police.

■ Report all graffiti in your neighborhood to the police.

■ Be alert to non-verbal communication signs. Graffiti writing on notebooks, books, papers, sidewalks, fences, stores, walls, etc. is a territorial marker to gang members and a way to advertise the gang’s power. Report graffiti.

■ Be involved in your child’s life. Be aware of changes such as dress changes, tattoos, selection of friends, truancy, violence, and disregard for persons or property.

■ Find out if your child has purchased new and expensive items or if your child has extra money that can’t be accounted for.

■ Look for signs of possible gang involvement:

■ Talk and listen to your child. Explain the dangers and consequences of being a member of a gang.

■ Let him/her know that you care. Praise your child and encourage him/her to do his/her very best.

■ Express your disapproval of gangs and that you do not want him/her hurt.

■ Find out who your child’s friends are and discourage him/her from hanging around gang members.

■ Tell your child that peer gang pressure means that he/she is letting someone else make decisions for him/her. It makes him/her dependent rather than an independent thinker.

■ Encourage him/her to make new friends that are not gang members; provide new experiences or activities outside the community to expose him/her to new friendships.

■ Involve your child in supervised, positive group activities in school, in church, in the community. Give him/her responsibilities at home.

■ Do not allow your child to write or practice writing gang names, symbols, or any other gang graffiti on books, papers, clothes, bodies, walls or any other place.

■ Let him/her know that you will help with whatever problem he/she has.

■ Express the importance of education and help your child do his/her best in school.

■ Spend time with your child. Plan activities that the whole family can enjoy.

■ Set limits for your child. Let him/her know what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior.

■ Be a good example and model the expected behavior.

■ Teach your child to respect others’ property.

■ Know what your child is doing and with whom. Ask questions----Who?, Where?, When?, Why?, How? And follow up with your child’s activities to verify information.

■ Seek help from community services that help prevent gang violence.