NATIONAL GANG CENTER

Gangs in Schools

RESPONDING TO 

GANGS IN SCHOOLS: 

A COLLABORATIVE 

APPROACH TO 

SCHOOL SAFETY

A guide designed to provide 

schools and law enforcement 

with sound practices and 

collaborative techniques to 

identify, assess, and address 

gang activity in the school 

setting.
iiGangs in Schools Bulletin

Table of Contents

Impact to Schools.........................................................................................................................................................1

What Does Gang Activity Look Like?.....................................................................................................................2

Creating a Collaborative Process Between Schools and Law Enforcement............................................3

The Role of Law Enforcement..................................................................................................................................4

The Role of School Administration ........................................................................................................................6

School Prevention Strategies to Consider...........................................................................................................9

School Intervention Strategies to Consider .....................................................................................................10

School Suppression Strategies to Consider .....................................................................................................12

Resources and Reference.........................................................................................................................................13
1Gangs in Schools Bulletin

Impact to Schools

Gang affiliation is not something that students leave behind when they come to school. Gang members 

do not leave their behaviors, attitudes, and conflicts outside the school environment. Gangs, unchecked 

and unidentified in a school setting, often engage in threat and intimidation; physical and cyber bullying; 

fighting; recruiting; and criminal activities such as the introduction and use of weapons, assault, sex 

trafficking, vandalism, and illegal drug sales. The absence of a well-developed, strategic, collaborative, and 

effective school safety plan can lead to violence and other unsafe and disruptive activities within a school 

setting.

It is not solely the responsibility of schools to create and maintain a safe learning environment, free from 

the disruption gangs can cause, for students, faculty, and staff. To develop a comprehensive plan that 

identifies effective, evidence-based strategies to address gang issues in the school environment requires the 

involvement of law enforcement, school administrators and staff, and other key sectors of the community. 

The OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model highlights such a holistic approach by coordinating the roles of all 

agencies and organizations within a community that are responsible for addressing gang-related crime and 

violence. Schools are part of the larger community.

THREE-PRONGED RESPONSE

The best strategies are proactive 

rather than simply reactive. An 

effective response begins with 

the coordination of prevention, 

intervention, and suppression 

efforts guided by appropriate 

information sharing protocols. 

This establishes shared responsibility 

for tackling gang-related problems in 

schools.

PREVENTION

Gang prevention is based on early identification 

of occurrences and trends within the school and 

community and the provision of evidence-based 

services and activities designed to discourage a 

youth’s decision to join a gang.

INTERVENTION

Gang intervention strategies focus on youth 

who exhibit some level of engagement in a 

gang and are provided with evidence-based 

services to facilitate gang disengagement.

SUPPRESSION

Gang suppression strategies related to the school 

environment focus on proactive measures to mitigate 

many of the factors that can contribute to disruptive, 

gang-related behaviors that pose a threat to the 

learning environment and to the safety and wellbeing of others.
2Gangs in Schools Bulletin

What Does Gang Activity Look Like?

Distinctive indications of gang activity present themselves in many forms. Determining the presence of gangs, 

the level of gang activity, and possible threats within a community or school starts with intelligence gathering. 

Law enforcement agencies use these techniques to gather specific facts that are designed to ascertain and 

understand the level of gang activity within a community or school and are critical to accurately identifying 

specific individuals involved in delinquent and criminal activity associated with gangs. Coordination of 

information sharing between law enforcement and school administrators is essential in answering the following 

questions: 

 Are just a few students creating problems? Who are they? What is the level of these students’ gang 

association or affiliation? 

 Are there rival gangs on campus fighting among themselves? 

 Are there outside influences or circumstances entering the school grounds and driving the gang activity? 

 Are the incidents in question actually gang-related? 

Depending on the community, gang identifiers among young people can shift over time, in the same manner 

that fads and trends change among mainstream youth. However, common gang identifiers can include, but are 

not limited to, the following:

 Cliques of students wearing the same colors in clothes, bandanas, specific types of belts/buckles, jewelry, 

charms, or team sports clothing.

 Tattoos, graffiti, and drawings/sketches on folders, notebooks, or school assignments, including area codes 

and geographical locations represented numerically.

 Hand signs, handshakes, and other expressions of gang association or affiliation.

The reliability of gang identification depends on the sharing and validation of information between school 

personnel and local law enforcement. Taken together, this authentication of information establishes a more 

accurate picture of the level of disruption and threat to school safety posed by gang activity. It protects 

individual students from unsubstantiated labels. It equips school administrators with the ability to develop datadriven policies. 
3Gangs in Schools Bulletin

Creating a Collaborative Process 

Between Schools and Law Enforcement

The ultimate goal of a collaborative process to abate gang activity is to:

 Ensure school and community safety.

 Coordinate resources for gang-involved youth to promote successful gang disengagement. 

The best way to identify, document, and respond to gangs within the school environment is to create a process 

that:

 Begins with awareness, understanding, and documentation of the gang issue.

 Develops active collaborations among agencies and organizations that can reduce gang activity within the 

school environment.

 Identifies students involved in or susceptible to gang activity.

 Provides a range of prevention measures.

 Addresses specific gang behaviors with consistent consequences and offers youth avenues to reduce or 

disengage from gang involvement.

 Establishes school safety and crisis planning.

 Includes ongoing staff training.
4Gangs in Schools Bulletin

The Role of Law Enforcement

Law enforcement is an integral component 

in the development and implementation 

of any collaborative and comprehensive 

safety plan to address gang activity 

within a school setting and surrounding 

community. Law enforcement can assist 

school administrators in identifying 

problems occurring at school as gangrelated. There are a number of steps 

that a law enforcement agency can take 

to proactively contribute to the safety 

of a school/school district that is in its 

jurisdictional area of responsibility. 

 Provide training delivered by subject 

experts to school resource officers, 

campus security personnel, and other 

law enforcement personnel. The 

training should focus on current gangrelated trends within their areas of jurisdictional responsibility.

 Provide annual gang awareness training to all school personnel as well as to parents/guardians. The 

training/education should focus on gangs and gang-related activity specific to the community in which the 

school is located.

 Regularly communicate with school resource officers and other school safety personnel whose 

responsibilities include campus security and student engagement. The exchange of situational awareness 

can head off potential gang-related disruptions on campus and within the community. 

 Understand the role of school administrators and the various disciplinary options available to them to help 

mitigate gang violence. When arrest is not the only option, law enforcement officers, including school 

resource officers, should work in collaboration with school administrators to determine a best path forward.

 When an arrest is appropriate, leverage the criminal justice system and various criminal justice programs to 

mitigate potential violence or other disruptions as a result of the arrest.

It is the responsibility of law 

enforcement and the criminal justice 

system to verify and document 

gang members under state statute; 

conduct investigations; and work with 

prosecutors to ensure accountability 

for criminal gang behavior, 

incarceration, and probation.
5Gangs in Schools Bulletin

 Work with school districts to develop and implement well-written safety plans. Safety plans in place 

should encompass all hazards but have a specific section outlined to address gang-related hazards. The 

plan should be exercised three to four times per year. The exercises should include local law enforcement 

personnel and school safety officers, as well as school administrators and school staff. 

 Develop a trusted relationship in which law enforcement officers, school administrators, and school staff 

can openly share concerns about suspected gang-related activities in the school setting. Trust is vital. The 

timely sharing of information is essential to the mitigation of a potential threat.

 It is not uncommon for a school district’s boundaries to encompass more than one law enforcement agency. 

Law enforcement agencies need to have agreements in place that allow for the timely sharing of critical 

information and actionable intelligence among themselves. Disparate criminal intelligence databases and 

lack of information sharing protocols are barriers that can raise the risk of potential gang-related threats. 

Connecting criminal/gang databases to RISSIntelTM or RISSGangTM is a valuable way to share information 

within the law enforcement community. 
6Gangs in Schools Bulletin

The Role of School Administration

Gang-related crime and violence in 

the community can spill over into the 

schools. School administrators can take 

an active role in providing a safe school 

environment by collaborating with law 

enforcement to assess gang-related 

threats; document gang-related incidents; 

address gang-related conduct; and 

implement a continuum of prevention, 

intervention, and suppression practices. 

Steps should include the following:

 Develop juvenile and criminal justice 

partnerships—it is imperative to 

know what is happening with ganginvolved students outside of the 

school setting. This knowledge and 

coordination will be beneficial if a 

gang-related violent incident occurs 

that requires a law enforcement response to the school. 

 Conduct an assessment of what the problem really looks like within a specific school and its feeder schools. 

It is also helpful to review data of gang experience from the previous school year. Become informed of the 

larger picture by learning about the gang history in the community: 

 What are the current gang alliances and rivals?

 What gang violence is currently taking place in the community? 

 What gang issues are trending in the community?

Law enforcement can provide detailed, accurate, and current information that may have an effect on the safety 

of a school. Collaborating with local law enforcement is essential to understand specific gang-related issues 

within the school environment. This information may include specific gangs and their affiliations, as well as the 

students involved in gang activity. Ensure that communication among partners is timely; otherwise, information 

may not be relevant by the time it is transmitted.

One of the biggest challenges for 

school administrators is finding ways 

to foster safe and positive learning 

environments that promote success 

for all students. Working closely with 

law enforcement agencies and school 

resource officers will help foster a 

collaborative approach to success.
7Gangs in Schools Bulletin

 Recognize signs of gang activity and identify those involved. Monitor behaviors for gang 

affiliation and look for gang identifiers. Things to monitor closely include the following:

 Social media outlets, to include identification of social media sites and trends specific to the community 

and school. Gang-involved youth often will highlight their activities via social media outlets, thus 

providing school personnel, law enforcement, and other adults with supervisory responsibility over 

these youth with a direct means for gathering information about them. In addition, social media 

is beneficial for anonymous reporting of gang involvement and/or activity by concerned parents, 

students, and staff. 

 Students who assume leadership roles on campus may have influence over groups of gang-involved 

students and their activities. Creating a relationship with those students and monitoring their behavior 

can help reduce or prevent violence.

 Behaviors and activities of students in spaces such as lunchrooms, hallways, bathrooms, the schoolyard, 

the bus stop, the bus, extracurricular school-sponsored events, and other spaces where students can 

freely congregate before, during, and after school.

 Apartment complexes, stores, restaurants, parks, or other establishments near the school. These places 

can be used for gang-related activity. 

 Repeated incidents of disrespect, threat, and intimidation by students (verbal and nonverbal).

 Reports of delinquent and criminal activity at school.

 Registrations of students coming from probation, detention, or other schools with known gang issues.

 Rumors of gang activity in the schools and community; for example, rumors of fights or drive-by 

shootings.

 Work with local law enforcement agencies to keep an accurate and current record to account for all gangrelated incidents and associated behaviors. Accurate documentation of both gang-related activity on the 

school campus and a student’s level of gang involvement is dependent on the corroboration of sources that 

paints a complete picture. This documentation will be beneficial to law enforcement and prosecutors in the 

event that criminal activity is identified and prosecution is necessary. 

 Make a commitment to staff training; empower all school personnel with the knowledge of what to look for 

and how to safely respond.

 Encourage timely information sharing by school 

personnel. Teachers and school staff often receive 

valuable information about gang activities 

that otherwise may never be shared with law 

enforcement. They should report this 

information no matter how small or 

insignificant the information may seem.

 Develop/foster partnerships with other state, 

county, local, and private (nonprofit) agencies/

organizations that may be able to aid in gang 

prevention, intervention, and mitigation strategies.

Contain the spread 

of gang activity

Mitigate risks that 

foster gang activity

Protect those who 

are most susceptible

Responding to Gangs Within 

the School Setting
8Gangs in Schools Bulletin
9Gangs in Schools Bulletin

School Prevention Strategies 

to Consider

Gang prevention is based on early identification of occurrences and trends within the school and community 

and the provision of evidence-based services and activities designed to discourage a youth’s decision to join a 

gang. Prevention practices can include the following:

 Consult with local law enforcement to bring in subject matter experts to provide ongoing gang awareness 

and education for teachers, school personnel, and parents and guardians. This training, to include gang 

identifiers, should be constantly updated and reinforced. 

 Provide opportunities to develop relationships between law enforcement officers and students as early as 

possible, preferably in elementary schools. Bonding and positive relationships with law enforcement officers 

can influence student choices in the future. 

 Implement the evidence-based Gang Resistance Education And Training (G.R.E.A.T.) Program, taught by 

law enforcement officers in the communities and schools they serve, for fourth through seventh grades. The 

G.R.E.A.T. Summer Program builds stronger bonds with students and their communities, and the G.R.E.A.T. 

Families component aims to strengthen the resiliency of individual families susceptible to gang influences. 

 Refer parents to the Parents’ Guide to Gangs brochure found on the National Gang Center Website. It 

provides tips on what to look for and how to respond.

 Utilize mentors who are experienced in working 

with this population as an added support for 

students who are at risk for gang joining.

 Provide alternative activities and after-school 

programing; include law enforcement programs 

such as the Police Athletic League (PAL). 

 Develop a safe-passage-to-school program

for students who have to traverse rival gang 

territories to get to school.

 Develop community partnerships to support 

prevention activities.

A key to success is trusted 

communication and collaboration 

among school administrators 

and law enforcement, juvenile 

probation, and children and youth 

system providers. The ability to 

work though challenges is very 

important. Everyone’s role is 

integral to developing a solid 

process.
10Gangs in Schools Bulletin

School Intervention Strategies 

to Consider

Gang intervention strategies focus on youth who exhibit some level of engagement in a gang and are provided 

with evidence-based services to facilitate gang disengagement. School-based activities can include the 

following:

 Convene a team of school administrators, teachers, school-based counselors, mental health specialists, 

school resource officers, outside law enforcement, vetted gang intervention specialists, and representatives 

from agencies that have responsibilities for gang-involved youth (e.g., probation and parole). Everyone has 

a different perspective and can contribute his or her own professional expertise. The team can focus on 

the most difficult gang-involved students by collectively monitoring their behaviors and by providing case 

management, referral to services in and out of the school environment, and constant follow-up. 

 Have a plan for confronting/addressing students involved in gang-related activities. Always consider the 

safety of students and staff in developing this plan.

 Get to know those students who are suspected of gang involvement. Determine each student’s level of 

involvement and commitment as a member or associate. (Is the student deep in the gang, or does the 

student have a loose affiliation with gang members?) This will assist in determining the best individual 

approach to use. 

 Establish a rapport with these students; sometimes this is as simple as providing intervention techniques 

such as mentoring, academic 

support, and a system of 

wraparound support services to 

help students disengage from 

gang involvement. At other 

times, it may require justice 

system intervention.

Research has shown that race 

is not a risk factor for joining 

a gang. Instead, recruitment 

into a gang is influenced by 

compounding factors such 

as where youth live, family 

issues, under-resourced school 

systems, a youth’s mind-set, and 

other individual characteristics, 

especially peers with whom a 

youth associates.*

* Howell, J. C. and Egley, A., Jr. (2005). Moving risk factors into 

developmental theories of gang membership. Youth Violence 

and Juvenile Justice, 3(4), 334–354.
11Gangs in Schools Bulletin

 For those students suspected of gang affiliation or association, track and document behaviors and progress 

in school (e.g., regularly monitor attendance and grades). Address concerns of behavior, grades, and 

attendance. Utilize existing school supports for academic and behavioral issues. 

 Be consistent with discipline; hold youth accountable for infractions. Balance consistent discipline and 

accountability with positive support.

 Use graduated sanctions based on school discipline policies. 

 Use conflict-resolution strategies and other restorative justice practices demonstrated to be effective with 

gang-involved youth.

 Involve these students’ parents/guardians early and consistently. Be proactive with parents, and allow them 

to be a part of the solution instead of the problem. Notify a parent of possible gang identifiers that the 

school is noticing with his or her child. Parents appreciate your attempts to inform and help them instead of 

contacting them when their children are already in trouble. A parent who feels that you are being proactive, 

rather than simply labeling or picking on his or her child, is more apt to help instead of becoming combative. 
12Gangs in Schools Bulletin

School Suppression Strategies 

to Consider

Gang suppression strategies related to the school environment focus on proactive measures to mitigate many of 

the factors that can contribute to disruptive gang-related behaviors posing a threat to the learning environment 

and the safety and well-being of others. As a part of a school safety plan, implement suppression practices to 

end gang-related incidents on school campuses, on school buses, and at school-sponsored events. Suppression 

practices can include the following: 

 Review district policy and ensure that there is sound policy specific to addressing gang-related incidents. 

 Ensure that law enforcement is notified and aware once a student is identified as gang-involved (as a 

member or associate). 

 Document and follow up on gang-related incidents.

 All school personnel should be consistent with all students in enforcing discipline and consequences for 

school infractions.

 Use random safety checks by police and school administration to prevent drugs and weapons from coming 

onto the campus.

 Practice site security drills to include lockdown procedures.

 Document graffiti, notify law 

enforcement, and remove 

immediately. Graffiti tells a 

story, which can help law 

enforcement determine 

whether a threat or incident 

is about to occur. 

 Confiscate gang 

paraphernalia, and address 

the matter with students and 

parents.

Creating a collaborative 

process to abate gang activity 

provides law enforcement 

and school administrators 

with a powerful tool to stem 

the escalation of gang-related 

situations, as well as a means 

to hold youth suspected of 

gang affiliation accountable 

for their behaviors within 

a disciplined, supportive 

structure. 
13Gangs in Schools Bulletin

Additional Resources

A Preliminary Report on the Police Foundation’s Averted School Violence Database

https://ric-zai-inc.com/Publications/cops-w0871-pub.pdf

Best and Promising Practices to Address Violence and Personal Safety in Safe Routes to School Programs

https://www.urbanpeaceinstitute.org/s/SRTS-SafePassage-Paper-FINAL-March-2015-UPI.pdf

Changing Course: Preventing Gang Membership

https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/239234.pdf

Department of Homeland Security School Safety and Security

https://www.dhs.gov/school-safety-and-security

Enhancing School Safety Using a Threat Assessment Model: An Operational Guide for Preventing Targeted School Violence

https://www.secretservice.gov/data/protection/ntac/USSS_NTAC_Enhancing_School_Safety_Guide_7.11.18.pdf

Framework for Safe and Successful Schools

https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources/school-safety-and-crisis/a-framework-for-safeand-successful-schools

Gang Resistance Education And Training (G.R.E.A.T.) 

https://www.great-online.org/GREAT-Home

K–12 School Shooting Database

https://www.chds.us/ssdb/?utm_source=snapshots&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=snapshots_2018-10-

02&utm_content=K12SSDB

Multidisciplinary Gang Intervention Teams

https://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/Content/Documents/NYGCbulletin3.pdf

National Association of Police Athletic/Activities Leagues, Inc.

http://www.nationalpal.org/

OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model

https://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/Comprehensive-Gang-Model

Parents’ Guide to Gangs

https://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/Parents-Guide-to-Gangs

Responding to Gangs in a School Setting

https://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/Content/Documents/Bulletin-5.pdf
This project was supported by Cooperative Agreement No. 2017-MU-MU-K001, awarded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs. The 

opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Justice. 

www.nationalgangcenter.gov

Version 1, January 2020

Institute for Intergovernmental Research

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S A F E R

Making Schools

Share gang 

intelligence/

information

Response 

strategies aimed 

at suppression of 

gang activity

Accountability of 

key stakeholders

Educate key 

Foster an stakeholders

environment of 

trust