You can walk away
from gangs
For most gang
members, the gang they belong to meets some kind of need in their life: for safety, love,
excitement or money. When a gang member
learns that he or she can meet these needs in other ways, the gang may lose its
appeal, and this person may decide to walk away from the gang life. However, being a gang
member is far more dangerous than the typical dangers faced by most of today's
teenagers. For that reason, the
issue for many gang members is not if they will decide to stop being a gang
member. The issue is whether
they will live long enough to make that decision. Make a
plan for getting out:
When gang members
decide that they want to leave the gang, there are a few simple steps they can
follow: Never tell the gang
that you plan to leave. You may be beaten or
even killed.
Begin spending your
time doing other things. Instead of spending
time hanging out with your gang friends, find something else to do during that
time. Look around. There are
possibilities everywhere: sports, recreation
centers, Boys and Girls Clubs, arts programs, drama, school activities, and
even spending time with your family.
Try to stop looking
like a gangster. For many gang
members, dressing down makes them feel safe because other people are afraid of
the way they look. As you begin to
believe in yourself, you will find that you don't need to make other people
feel afraid in order to feel good about yourself. Stop wearing the
clothes that you think have a gang meaning.
Find other things to
say, other things to do, and other people to do them with. (HINT: This is much easier
if you stop dressing like a gang member first.) Stop hanging out
with gang members, talking like a gang member, and acting like a gang member.
Get good at making
excuses. Your parents can
probably help you with this, but if not, try asking a teacher for help or maybe
just an older friend. Some former gang
members have said that when they started trying to leave the gang, they stopped
taking phone calls from their gang friends, or had their family members tell
friends from the gang that they were busy or involved in some other activity.
Find people who will
support you and believe in you
Getting out of a gang
isn't easy, but it can be done. Young people across
the country make the decision to have a better life every day. Find people,
especially adults, who think that you are special and will keep telling you
that. In your mind, think
of a supportive adult wherever you go (school, neighborhood, rec center) that
you can touch base with if you have a problem or need to talk. Then use these people
to help support you as you change with good advice and assistance. Finally, begin
believing in your power to change. Gangs are a dead-end
street. No matter whom you
are, what you have done, or where you live, you deserve better.
