Gangs & School Violence

Trends show changes in gang influences that cannot be ignored

Application delta

When considering plans to address school violence, the influence of gangs cannot be overlooked. Their impact on students is palpable in the decisions they make and the people they associate with. Gangs utilize violence for a myriad of reasons, most of which is to further their goals.  Like anything else, change is constant and gang behavior evolves as well. Unfortunately, a disturbing transformation has been observed in the way gangs apply their brand of violence that should be noted by schools.

The gang expert

Richard Garland

When CSI developed their Sensible Solutions school safety and security program, they enlisted the help of experts from a variety of fields including academia and law enforcement.  One contributor had a very unique and invaluable experience that was brought to the table and incorporated into the programming of this protocol.  Richard Garland, was a notorious gang member in Philadelphia at the height of the gang problem.  As a result of his actions, he forfeited over 20 years of his life to incarceration.  The good news is that Garland has put that life behind him and has moved on in a very positive way.  CSI consulted extensively with him during the development of the Sensible Solutions concept.

In the trenches

Garland earned his master’s degree in social work and is currently a visiting instructor at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health - Center for Health Equity.  In his capacity there, he researches gang violence, how it can be understood and ultimately how it can be prevented. Garland spends a lot of time gathering data from gunshot victims who are in the hospital recovering from gang inflicted wounds.  He seeks to understand the impetus of each event and as he does this, he gains first hand intelligence about the movements and motivations of gang members.

A terrible turn

From recent observations, Garland noticed concerning changes in the way gangs administer violence.  One of the observations has been the willingness to utilize violence against previously taboo targets.  In his time as a gang member, Garland recalled how no one would go after someone’s mother or their children.  Now, this has changed.  There is now a willingness to do things that were once considered “off limits” by gangs.

Taking advantage

What may be driving this trend is another observation he has uncovered. Garland noted that gangs are increasingly utilizing younger kids to do the most violent acts. He has encountered several instances where money was given to a young teen to perform a “hit” on someone much older than themselves. The solicitor of the hits are often in their late 20’s or early 30’s. These older influencers know that young kids are easily swayed by their age and status. And because of their youth they are capable of extreme violence with little or no reflection about the consequences.

You see it every day now

This movement toward youth can be seen in relationships forming in schools. Now, it is common to see underclassmen associating with upperclassmen. Gangs have discovered that younger kids will do just about anything for recognition and status and that can be achieved by doing unspeakable things for their older influencers.

Public policy and public housing

Another trend noticed by Garland has been the migration of gang members. He sees one reason for this movement is the closing of public housing facilities. As a result, gang members are moving to rent districts that previously did not have the direct influence of gang members in their communities. This has caused an influx of drugs, prostitution and the associated violence to move into areas unaccustomed to this effect. For schools, it is widely understood that whatever is happening in the community is ultimately brought through their doors. Knowing that this is happening, confronting this change should be a concern for school administrators.

Tough situation

Another side effect of the migration of housing changes is the intermingling of rival gangs. When one housing complex closes, people are often moved into available housing in a rival’s area. This has created tremendous tension and for the children caught up in this situation, they often find their lives to be very transient and fraught with violence. Again, these experiences are brought into schools on a daily basis.

Stepping up and providing solutions

To say the least, Garland’s work is invaluable to the development of violence mitigation and prevention measures. His life experience ranges from one end of the spectrum to the other and that wisdom is now being utilized for the greater good. Garland’s contribution to the Sensible Solutions protocol will certainly help school districts understand the how’s and why’s of gang influences and ultimately help them keep their schools safe.