Parents’ Guide to

GANGS

A guide designed to 

provide parents with 

answers to common 

questions about gangs 

to enable them to 

recognize and prevent 

gang involvement. NATIONAL GANG CENTER
Prevent Gang Involvement

Introduction

Parents play an important role in keeping young people out of gangs. 

There are many things parents can do to help their children stay 

away from gangs, including monitoring their activities, fostering 

close relationships with them, and using positive and consistent 

discipline. However, parents often lack factual information about 

gangs. This guide is designed to provide parents with answers to 

common questions about gangs to enable them to recognize and 

prevent gang involvement.

Why do youth join gangs?

There are a lot of reasons why youth get involved in gangs. 

Sometimes youth get “pulled” into a gang because they think 

they might earn a lot of money and gain status, or they may think 

it is a good way to show family, neighborhood, or cultural pride. 

Other times youth get “pushed” into a gang because they are 

afraid for their safety and think a gang will provide protection from 

neighborhood crime and violence, or they have been pressured by 

the gang to join.

What are the consequences of 

gang involvement?

Even though some youth believe that gang involvement might 

provide safety, protection, excitement, and opportunities to earn 

money, the truth is that gang involvement is very dangerous and 

limits opportunities for the future. Research has shown that youth 

who are gang-involved are more likely to commit crimes, which 

increases their chances of being arrested and incarcerated, and 

to be victims of violence themselves. Young girls are especially 

vulnerable to sexual victimization. Youth who get caught up in gangs 

are also less likely to graduate high school, less likely to find stable 

jobs, and more likely to have alcohol and drug problems and even 

health problems later in life.

How do I know if my child is 

involved in a gang?

The most common age that youth join a gang is around 15, but the 

early adolescent years (12–14 years of age) are a crucial time when 

youth are exposed to gangs and may consider joining a gang. While 

it is more common for boys to get involved in gangs, girls also face 

similar pushes and pulls and can also become involved in gangs. 

Gang involvement can be fluid, as some youth move in and out of 

gang-involved friendship groups. Thus, parents should pay attention 

to even small changes in behavior.
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Common Gang Identifiers for Parents

Colors

While some gangs have reduced their use of specific colors to avoid 

identification by law enforcement, many gangs still use one or more 

colors as a symbol to represent themselves. These colors may be worn 

on shirts; bandanas; multicolored or single-colored beads; and belts, 

hats, shoes, shoelaces, hair bands, and jewelry. These colors may 

also appear in other possessions such as school supplies and room 

decorations.

Symbols and Numbers

Symbols and numbers have special significance within the gang culture. 

Common symbols of some of the large gangs in the United States 

include stars (five- and six-pointed), crowns, pitchforks (pointing up 

or down), three dots in a triangle, and numbers. These characters do 

not have the same meaning across the country, and symbolism varies 

regionally. Contact your local school resource officer or other law 

enforcement representative to get specific information on the meanings 

of unidentifiable symbols or numbers you may see in your area.

Clothing and Apparel

Gang-involved youth may dress a specific way to identify with a 

particular gang, set, clique, or crew. This might include clothing or 

bandanas worn only in certain colors; pants worn well below the waist; 

gang-themed T-shirts with pictures of gangs, prison scenes, graffiti, or 

slogans; two- or three-toned bead necklaces; or colored fabric belts, 

occasionally with metal buckles that bear the initial(s) of the gang. 

However, gang clothing trends change and are often different from one 

place to another, so clothing alone may not be enough to indicate a 

youth’s affiliation with a particular gang.

Graffiti

Gangs use graffiti to mark their territory, brag about their reputation, 

mourn fallen friends, and threaten or challenge rival gangs. For this 

reason, graffiti can be very dangerous and should be removed as soon 

as possible. Youth who are engaging in graffiti may have items such as 

spray paint, spray-paint plastic tips, wide-tipped markers, or sketchbooks 

with graffiti works in progress. They may also have paint on their 

clothing, backpacks, or other items.

Social Media

The Internet has provided a new medium for gang communication 

and promotion. Social media Web sites, such as Facebook, Instagram, 

Twitter, YouTube, and others allow gang-involved individuals to 

represent their gang affiliation, taunt others, post threats, and organize 

and promote their gangs’ activities. Social media escalates the potential 

for violence, since it reaches such a large audience. 

Gang-Influenced Music and Movies

Gangsta/gangster rap is a style of rap music characterized by violent, 

tough-talking lyrics that glorify street-gang culture. Popular movies also 

focus on street gangs and their activities. Youth may show their interest 

in gangs through fascination with music and movies that portray streetgang culture. However, interest in these types of entertainment alone 

may not be enough to indicate involvement in a gang.

Sports Items

Letters, colors, or symbols associated with professional 

sports teams may have specific gang meanings in local 

street gang culture. Sports apparel may be purchased in 

nontraditional colors to correspond with a gang’s colors or 

may be altered with graffiti or extra symbols or writing. 

Tattoos

Gang-related tattoos are used to show affiliation, rank, 

crimes committed, racial and ethnic alliances, and loyalty 

to a gang. These tattoos often include the name, initials, 

or symbols of a specific gang and may be found on the 

hands, neck, face, chest, back, or arms.

Hand Signs

Some gangs use specific hand gestures and handshakes 

to communicate their affiliation with the gang, to issue 

threats or challenges to rival gangs, or to communicate in 

code when authority figures are present. These gestures 

can be known as “throwing up” or “stacking.”

Other changes to look for:

Withdrawing from family activities and planned events.

Changed academic performance or declining school 

attendance.

Defiant or confrontational behavior, such as talking 

back, verbal abuse, name-calling, and disrespect for 

parental authority. 

Staying out late without reason. 

Unusual desire for secrecy.

Angry outbursts, excessive aggression.

Excessive worry about safety; constantly surveying 

surroundings for danger.

Sudden negative attitudes about law enforcement 

or adults in positions of authority (school officials or 

teachers).

Change in attitude about school, church, or other 

normal activities or change in behavior when attending 

these activities.

Drastic changes in personal style.

Withdrawal from longtime friends and forming bonds 

with an entirely new group of friends.

Suspected use of drugs, such as alcohol, inhalants, and 

narcotics.

Possession of firearms, ammunition, or other weapons.

Nonaccidental physical injuries (such as evidence of 

being beaten or injuries to hands and knuckles from 

fighting).

Unexplained cash or goods, such as clothing, video 

games, or jewelry. 
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Institute for Intergovernmental Research

How Can I Help My Child?

Talk to your child about the negative consequences of gang 

behaviors and ways to avoid them

Be clear that you disapprove of gangs and do not want to see your child 

hurt or arrested. Be firm in your expectations that your child should 

NOT: 

Associate with any gang-involved individuals. 

Hang out where gang members congregate.

Attend any party or social event sponsored by gangs. 

Use any kind of hand or finger signs that may be meaningful to 

gangs, especially in pictures (even as a joke).

Wear clothing that may have meaning to gangs in your area. 

(Explain to your child that these clothing items can put him or her 

in danger and that you will not purchase them or allow them to be 

worn.)

Get to know your child’s friends and the friends’ parents

Be aware of their attitudes toward drugs, alcohol, and gangs. When 

children start to feel pressure to use drugs or join gangs, it usually comes 

from their friends.

Familiarize yourself with the Internet, popular slang terms, 

and your child’s online activity

Communicate with your child about the potential negative consequences 

of online activity, including what he or she may post online. Spend time 

online with your child. Ask your child to show you his or her favorite 

online activities, sites, and online contacts. Finally, keep the computer 

in a common area and utilize the computer’s and Web sites’ parental 

controls to limit the child’s access to Web sites and social media. 

Talk to your child about ways to deal with pressure from 

friends

Help your child practice simple ways to respond to peer pressure. For 

example, if your child is challenged by a peer who says, “If you were my 

friend, you would,” your child can respond, “If you were my friend, you 

wouldn’t ask.” Then, he or she should walk away.

Limit interaction with gang-involved individuals

One of the strongest risk factors for joining a gang is living in the same 

house as someone who is involved in gangs. If your child has older 

siblings or other relatives in your home who are associated with gangs, 

be very watchful of the influence they have on your child, and intervene 

immediately if your child starts to copy their dress, attitudes, and/or 

behaviors.

Set firm limits with your child

Children and teenagers need to clearly know what is expected of 

them and the consequences for acting otherwise. When your child 

misbehaves, be sure to use fair and consistent discipline, while 

demonstrating unconditional love and support for your child.

Plan family time

Make time for your family to play, eat meals together, take trips (even to 

local parks or activities), keep family traditions, and have family meetings 

to talk about plans, feelings, and complaints.

For More Information 

For more information, please visit our Web site at 

www.nationalgangcenter.gov. There are additional 

resources, such as the video “Why Youth Join Gangs” and 

a page dedicated to “Frequently Asked Questions About 

Gangs,” that will provide information regarding gang joining 

and gang membership. 

This project was supported by Cooperative Agreement No. 2014-MU-MU-K011, 

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. 

Version 1, 07/2015

www.nationalgangcenter.gov