Introduction

Bobby walked to school everyday. He one day noticed a group of kids dressed in the same colors with many tattoos and guns in their pockets. He was so intriged by this and wondered how it'd feel to belong. A few months passed as he slowly became 'friends' with these kids. He had fallen into the trap of a gang for so many different reasons, thinking his problems would go away, to make himslef feel 'cool' and most commonly, to belong. How can you stop your child or student from falling into this trap? Many parents think by locking up their kids and not letting them be free they will never encounter the dangers of the streets and gangs but that's not always true. This webquest will help you find some answers.

The Quest

Why do kids join gangs?

The Process and Resources

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Phase 1 - Background: Something for Everyone

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Phase 2 - Looking Deeper from Different Perspectives

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Children

Use the Internet information linked below to answer these questions specifically related to children:
Gangs and At-Risk kids:
1. What influences At-Risk kids to join gangs?
2. Discuss a few signs of gang membership or affiliation?
3. Why does an atmosphere of violence develop through gangs?
Lured to Death:
1. What judgement would you make about kids that are trapped into gangs?
2. Discuss three challenges that are faced when joining a gang?
3. Suppose you were asked to join a gang, What would you do?
The reality of gangs:
1. What is your perception on gangs?
2. Why do young people join gangs?
3. Can you make a distinction between gangs and 'cliques'?

• Gangs and At-Risk kids - This website has many different links that show satistics, realistic stories, and motives on why kids join gangs.
• Lured to Death - This is written by a seventeen year old girl who believes most gang members are lured into gangs by deception, leading them to believe that living the gangster life will give them everything they ever wanted. In reality, these children are being led into an early death.
• The reality of gangs - This is written by the Sacramento county sheriff's department. It has facts on what gangs really are, why teens join gangs and how to avoid or take action against gangs.

Parents

Use the Internet information linked below to answer these questions specifically related to parents:
National Alliance of Gang Investigators Associatins:
1. How would you create a balance between love and discipline for a child that is in danger of joining a gang?
2. Can you assess the value or importance of teaching your child good social skills?
3. Can you assess the value or importance of teaching your child the dangers of joining gangs?
Youth Gangs:
1. What changes would you make to solve youth gang problems today?
2. Can you propose an alternative to joining gangs?
3. What would you recommend kids do if approached about joining a gang?
Dealing with tough issues...Gangs:
1. What choice would you have made if approached with gang membership?
2. Based on what you know, how would you expalin why joining gang is not a smart decision?
3. What could be done to minimize the number of young children joining gangs?

• National Alliance of Gang Investigators Associations - This is written by drug-free children that give tips to at-risk teenagers that are about to give in to the pressures of their peers and gangs. It also helps parents find out different techniques or ways to help notice changes that might mean gang affiliation.
• Youth gangs - The Northeast communities against substance abuse tell the facts and fiction on youth gangs now days.
• Dealing with tough issues...Gangs - This answers the questions many people wonder about gangs...What exactly are gangs, How you can know if gangs perade in your community, who specifically joins gangs and why.

Specialists

Use the Internet information linked below to answer these questions specifically related to psycologist:
A parents guide to preventing gangs:
1. What evidence can you find that prove that parents can prevent their children from joining gangs?
2. How could you determine if your child is a member of a gang?
3. Can you think of an original way for the rate of gang membership to decrease?
It's your life:
1. How would you determine if there is a gang in your school?
2. Can you make a distinction between fantasy and reality in joining a gang?
3. Can you elaborate on the reason why teens develop and join gangs?
Teens can refuse membership without serious harm, study says:
1. What could be done to minimize serious harm when refusing gang membership?
2. What is your opinion on the recent study on refusing gang membership?
3. How can teens refuse gang membership without suffering any harm?

• A parents guide to preventing gangs - This is a parents guide to help mothers and fathers Learn about gangs and signs of gang activity, Sharpen your skills as a parent and use them, Join with others to make or keep your neighborhood gang free. It's a gang prevention site that helps parents notice changes in their children.
• It's your life - This website answers the question Why students develop and join gangs and how to determine if there is a gang in your school. It also talks about other social issues that go along with gang activity such as Alcohol, drug-use, teen pregnancy, school vilolence and tobacco.
• Teens can refuse membership without serious harm, study says. - This is a recent study on how teens can refuse gang membership without serious harm. Most kids recieve more serious harm in the gang initiation rituals.

Ex-Gang Members

Use the Internet information linked below to answer these questions specifically related to teacher:

Gang member's kids shot in drive-by hit:
1. What facts can you compile to prove that gang membership can affect not only the gang member but also his/her loved ones?
2. Can you elaborate on the reason why gang member's families are also in danger or a target for gang violence?
3. How would you improve the increasing rates of innocent children being harmed because of a family member's gangster lifestyle?
Criminals and Gang members Anonymous:
1. Can you identify the different steps to leaving the distructive, gangster lifestyle behind?
2. What could be done to maximize the number of people who join Gang members anonymous?
3. Can you predict the outcome if gang members don't admit they have a problem or an addiction to their lifestyle?
Ex-Gang member forges New Role from his past:
1. What judgement would you make on the changes that former gang members have made?
2. Based on what you know about gangs, how would you explain why such drastic changes are made by ex-gang members?
3. What is your opinion on why many gang members are afraid to leave their distructive lives behind?

• Gang member's kids shot in drive-by hit - This is an article regarding a Cape Flats gang member who was the target of a drive-by shooting but instead his two young children were hit. This points out that the families of gang members and ex-gang members are mostly the ones affected.
• Criminals and Gang members Anonymous - This is a helpful website that helps gang members and ex-gang members leave their distructive gang lives behind them. This also explains, from a gang members point of view, what a gang really is, how to escape it, what the major problem is, and twelve steps and traditions.
• Ex-Gang Member forges New Role from his past - This website talks about an Ex-Gang member who turned his life around after a close friend was mistaken for a gang member and killed of gunshot wounds. The ex-gang member is now a gang specialist and a peacemaker for the streets that gang members call their 'turf'.

Phase 3 - Debating, Discussing, and Reaching Consensus

You have all learned about a different part of kids joining gangs. Now group members come back to the larger WebQuest team with expertise gained by searching from one perspective. You must all now answer the Task / Quest(ion) as a group. Each of you will bring a certain viewpoint to the answer: some of you will agree and others disagree. Use information, pictures, movies, facts, opinions, etc. from the Webpages you explored to convince your teammates that your viewpoint is important and should be part of your team's answer to the Task / Quest(ion). Your WebQuest team should write out an answer that everyone on the team can live with.

Phase 4 - Real World Feedback

A real world assessment that I recommend you try is to survey 20 or more students in your school about their knowledge on gangs. Ask approximately 5-10 questions related to the topic. This will assist you in finding out the knowledge and opinion of the public and society on gangs.
Another real world assessment that might be a real asset to your research on gangs is to interview a school resource officer at your school. Ask them questions that you might be interested in knowing about gang affiliation or gang related crimes in your school.

Your Contact is: Mrs.Simpkin - Kids Joining Gangs

Conclusion

In conclusion, my research has shown the main reasons why young teens join gangs and ways to prevent gang affiliation rates from increasing. Major reasons why kids are interested in joining gangs are the feeling of acceptance, belonging, and power, fear of refusing, and to be given the attention that they arn't recieving from positive role models. There is no good reason why children should be drawn to such negative roads in their lives but for some reason it isn't being prevented. If this topic was researched a little further and talked about more often in the household maybe there wouldn't be such a large gang population today.