Signs of increased conflict at home. Frequent contact with police. Imitating gang dress or behavior. Tattoos drawn on the body. Uses hand signs adopted by a gang.
Gangs can meet needs that go unfulfilled in other aspects of a child's life.
The gang appears to be loyal when others are not. Lack of positive influence and interaction with parents. Quite often, we hear parents say their child does not respond to discipline and will not obey rules. However, every gang has rules and methods of discipline and those methods are usually brutal. Children need structure and discipline and will find it in a gang if it is not maintained at home.