That's the distance between San Francisco California and Las Vegas Nevada. Many of these leaders give orders to to local area coordinators, or generals, as they are sometimes called. Smaller gangs are more loosely-knit, and leadership can take the form of several individuals who are best in certain areas such as fighting, drug sales, or weapons procurement. Adopt a zero-tolerance approach. Principals, administrators, and teachers should determine how much gang activity their school has and then take steps towards abatement.
Many schools have policies which address gang problems.
Children that have a lot of unstructured time on their hands are prime recruitment material for gangs. Look to your extended family for for assistance. Remember though, the extended family's activities can never replace the valuable time that you spend with your child. Get on the phone or visit these places with your child as soon as possible. While some graffiti has elements of artistic flair, it serves as a gang advertisement or newspaper.