Gangs in Virginia: Resources and Information for Citizens of the Commonwealth
Family
As seen in the first gang video, ‘The Wrong Family,’ gang members
again tell the audience the reason they joined a gang was because they were
looking for a sense of family. They were looking for a replacement for
the attention they were missing at home. Gang members seek out new
recruits who are missing key elements in their home life and prey upon those
vulnerabilities to make their gang and themselves seem nurturing and supportive. In
this segment, you hear inactive gang members relate their realizations about
being ‘used’ by their gangs and ultimately being ‘dispensable.’ One
gang member even tells about learning the hard lesson that ‘no one
rides for free,’ eventually the lie and the façade wear off,
and kids will be required to do something negative (like hurting someone
or committing some other crime) to benefit the gang. This serves as
a form of payback for the false sense of family they receive and shows their
allegiance to the gang. Ultimately, kids should remember family should
never hurt or endanger them. Instead, family (whether actual relatives
or simply people who genuinely care) should provide positive love, encouragement,
and support.
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For more information about gangs and prevention, click here.