Ask them. Your son or daughter may come right out and admit to being in a gang. If not, look for a number of identifiers that you can use to determine possible gang involvement. There are many clues that may indicate your child’s involvement, but a few identifiers include:
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Gang slang being used in everyday conversation.
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Excessive amounts of clothes in two color combinations, such as blue and black, gold and black.
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Wearing gold or silver pendants and rings with the shapes of dollar signs, automatic guns, crowns, and so forth.
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Too much secrecy, or your child refusing to tell you where they are going or with whom.
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You son or daughter not wanting you to meet their “new friends.”
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Your son or daughter having large amounts of unexplained cash.
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Gang graffiti written on books, clothing, and even inside the brim of a baseball cap or on their book bag.
- A sudden drop in school performance.
