When it comes to keeping our children safe and sheltered from youth gangs, we often feel helpless. Despite our feeling of powerlessness, educators and law enforcement officials agree that effective parenting and being a positive role model can go a long way toward keeping our kids from becoming affiliated with neighborhood gangs—and with gangs, comes youth gang violence. Knowing that, and that kids older than 12 are at higher risk of recruitment, we did some research to help you encourage your own kids to stay out of gangs.
1. Communicate, communicate, communicate.
By fostering open communication with your children, you will create a relationship and an environment in which your kids feel comfortable coming to you with their struggles and social situations that could easily escalate to unsafe activity.
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