A street gang is one thing we cannot blame on the school. It develops
during the evenings and nights when children are under the full
responsibility of their parents.
Usually, they develop as harmless groups of children who play together in
the afternoons and early evenings. They play, cycle or roller blade
together, enjoying each other's company. They enjoy themselves so much that
they tend to come home later and later, until groups of children can be
seen roaming the local streets until nine, ten or even eleven o'clock at
night.
Children of those ages need to be getting between ten and twelve hours of
sleep a night, so when they get to school the next morning, they are tired
and cannot concentrate on their lessons. They become restless, the teacher
tries to control them and the children begin to acquire characteristics of
ADD and ADHD. The children feel threatened and turn inwards for self
support.
They get no satisfaction from their studies, so the evening activities
become the focal point of their day. They stay out even longer and seek
their satisfaction from their group. They start searching for more
interesting activities and lose interest in their schooling.
The vicious cycle is being created.
The more the child turns to the gang, the less dependent he feels on his
parents. The longer he stays out at night, the more tired he is during the
following day. He resists waking up, feels attacked by the school and when
the parents try to correct the situation, the children feel supported by
the group and feel brazen enough to resist and challenge their parents.
This gang now becomes the "bad boys." Parents tell their children not
to play with them. The gang becomes a distorted elite group which tries to
assert itself on the "goody goodies." They begin to become a mafia,
seeking more fulfillment in the only ways they know.
By this stage, the parents might have lost control over their children. If
their schools have thrown them out, the chevra might form their own
colony, renting their own apartments.
There is little the parents can do then, except to seek experienced advice,
maintain contact and to keep open the "line of return" -- which is
vital.
The easiest way to deal with street gangs is to prevent them from
forming.
If children are home, in bed, by the time they need to ensure they get a
good night's sleep, there is no risk of gangs forming! Except during
vacation time, no child should be out in the streets later than 8:00 p.m.
If children seem to be playing for long periods with a specific group, it
is important that parents should pay them surprise visits. Note if
your children are happy to see you or if they seem to cover up and
look guilty.
Parents need to take seriously complaints from other children or parents of
other children. As a deterrent, children should know that you investigate
every complaint. Even if this time they were not to blame, they will know
that they will have to account for their actions.
