The rule of thumb for combating violence in school is to remove its antecedents whenever possible and train staff to handle aggressive behavior. School staff should be knowledgeable; join forces with community leaders, police, and parents; implement antigang curricula; treat each student respectfully; and make the school a safe haven. Sidebars…

This booklet is concerned with the issue of youth gangs. A brief introduction provides examples of gang violence and notes that juvenile gangs are not just a problem in large metropolitan areas, but are being established in communities nationwide. Following this introduction is a series of questions and answers about gangs. Questions focus on what…

Based on news stories from U.S. newspapers, this report examines the prevalence of gun violence in American schools. During the past 4 years, beginning with September 1986, at least 71 people (65 students and 6 employees) have been killed with guns at school. Another 201 were severely wounded, and 242 individuals were held hostage at gunpoint.…

Increased violence in the schools necessitates the identification of potential gang development and formation of preventive safety policies. Included in this bulletin for principals are steps for gang activity identification, preventive strategies, appropriate responses to altercations, and guidelines for security and supervision of…

Youth gangs can be found throughout all racial, ethnic, and religious groups. Characteristics of gang membership and suggestions for parent and school involvement in preventing gangs are discussed. (DF)

This document draws on more than 50 years of gang program evaluations to summarize what has been learned about: (1) prevention programs, including early childhood, school-based, and afterschool initiatives; (2) intervention programs, including those that work to create violence-free zones, establish gang summits and truces, and rehabilitate gang…

The ravages of illegal drugs and gangs are growing discernibly worse in many American cities. Schools and school boards are going to have to sustain hope by finding the courage to oppose youth violence, gang terrorism, and drug trafficking and consumption. (MLF)

Reports of increased violence and crime in the schools suggest that an attack on the roots of violence must accompany work to improve discipline and physical security. Suggestions for schools to actively respond to the problem are offered in this digest. Reasons for the increase of violence and for most schools' reluctance to address the problem…

To fight gang activity, an Ohio school system took the lead in forming a coalition consisting of representatives from 25 community groups and agencies. Actions have included providing school-based intervention and training at the high school, and establishing an intelligence link between the schools and local law enforcement. (MLF)

Administrators risk serious legal challenges when failing to recognize and respond to gang activity; enhance staff knowledge of gang identification/management techniques; establish policies and procedures; report suspected activities to police; pursue conflict mediation; include gang issues in class discussions; follow up on threats; or develop a…

This handbook shares some practical and conceptual knowledge about gangs in schools and suggests some strategies for coping with gang problems in schools. A radical approach is proposed which advocates assimilating gangs into the fabric of daily school life. The strategies were derived from two formal studies conducted from 1982 to 1990 on Los…

This pamphlet highlights 99 tips for maintaining safe schools. Areas of interest include: alarm systems and control of access, vandalism, parent education, transportation, school design, personnel training, and graffiti. The majority of the pointers deal with maintaining and implementing various forms of electronic surveillance and strategies for…

Youth gangs are not a new phenomena in the United States; however, in the past decade the number of gang members has increased dramatically. Gang prevention-intervention programs are a necessary part of every school's curriculum. Students join gangs for a variety of reasons ranging from boredom to intent on criminal behavior. One characteristic…

This paper examines the effects of private schooling on adolescent nonmarket behaviors. Differences between private- and public-school students were controlled by making use of the rich set of covariates available with the Nation Education Longitudinal Survey (NELS) microdataset. An instrumental-variables strategy was also employed that exploits…

School board members, administrators, and teachers must remember that the wearing of "gang" clothing or the appearance of "gang" graffiti does not always translate into gang activity and crime. In reality, the so-called national spread of gang problems may be just another teenage fad. School personnel should treat gangs as a…