Decreasing gang activity in inner city neighborhoods is an essential component to reducing violence and improving our society as a whole. This study was conducted to help generate awareness and a better understanding as to how schools can be best utilized as a protective factor against youth gang activity. The participants consisted of 6 educators who are employed at private middle school located in an area with high gang activity. This school takes at-risk students and has strategies in place to help students' succeed and decrease students' likelihood of gang involvement. Demographic information was gathered through a questionnaire and qualitative information was gathered from one-on-one semi-structured interviews. This study looked at the relationship between one school and youth gang activity, with particular attention to educators' perceptions of their role in preventing students from becoming gang involved. It aimed to determine what strategies are being implemented to prevent students from participating in gang activity, what educators believe could still be done within the school to reduce youth gang involvement, and what barriers may be preventing schools from implementing gang prevention strategies. Results from this study found that gang activity in the community of this school seems to negatively impact youth's overall well-being, and there appears to be a lack of training for teachers in terms of how to approach issues of gang activity. Qualitative results found that educators believe building students' sense of connectedness and belonging to the school and finding alternative methods to discipline within the school can help prevent youth gang involvement. Many intervention strategies this school has implemented has aligned with what current research has found to prevent youth from gang activity. Future research could study this school's intervention strategies using longitudinal quantitative methods to determine the long-term success of these interventions. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]