This article says there are 8000... (San Antonio, Taft: fit in, 2011, how much)

[sapphire]

....gang members in San Antonio. I know there are several at Taft High School. What can we do? My son is 11, getting ready to go to middle school next year, and I am scared for him.

Gang Officers Patrol Young Teen's Funeral | WOAI.COM: San Antonio News

[rd2007]

make it legal to shoot anyone flashing their stupid little signs on sight? I wouldn't have a problem with it if I was on your jury...

[michelangelosa]

LA is home to over 200,000. That's crazy!

[Paka]

Sapphire, they are everywhere, but not interested in your kids. The kids that they would be interested in getting to join are those that feel left out and a need to be part of something....those with "absent" parents...the kind that don't know where their kids are or who they are with. You are far too involved a parent for your kid to be targeted.

Now, if you had a kid that was interested in joining, that might be different. But as far as "recruiting" I think you are safe because you are a concerned, involved parent with a handle on your kids whereabouts and doings.

[sapphire]

Originally Posted by Paka

Sapphire, they are everywhere, but not interested in your kids. The kids that they would be interested in getting to join are those that feel left out and a need to be part of something....those with "absent" parents...the kind that don't know where their kids are or who they are with. You are far too involved a parent for your kid to be targeted.

Now, if you had a kid that was interested in joining, that might be different. But as far as "recruiting" I think you are safe because you are a concerned, involved parent with a handle on your kids whereabouts and doings.

Thanks, Paka. I still worry about the random, senseless violence, but I guess that comes with the "Mom" territory.

And I oughta worry about myself these days.....working on a college campus. It's getting downright scary there, too. I guess it's everywhere and you have to keep your head up (or down, depending).

I miss Mayberry.

[TXtrkgrl]

Originally Posted by sapphire

Thanks, Paka. I still worry about the random, senseless violence, but I guess that comes with the "Mom" territory.

And I oughta worry about myself these days.....working on a college campus. It's getting downright scary there, too. I guess it's everywhere and you have to keep your head up (or down, depending).

I miss Mayberry.

I agree with everything Paka said, you are too involved and your son will be fine. I always keep a close eye on who my kids hang out with.
When you find Mayberry, call me, I want to move there too

[mamatotex97]

The problem comes though when your child attends the same school. These kids in gangs do have a negative impact in the school and it does affect everyone there, students and teachers. So I understand her concern about her child attending Taft one day. A parent would wonder how much the gang influence would grow by the time their child is at the school. Even though your child knows not to join one, having your child "tolerate" it at school is unacceptable.

[sapphire]

Yes, that's what I mean--the "having to tolerate" the gang activity. I don't understand the gang mentality--I mean, to an extent I understand their wanting to fit in somewhere, but I don't get the whole lifestyle. My son's friends are already at Connally Middle School, and they say the gangs are rampant there as well. Middle school. I think middle school is stressful enough, without that to deal with also. We aren't zoned for Taft right now, but who knows--in 2011 we may be. I'm sure the gangs are in all the high schools, I just mentioned Taft because I know some students there, and it's an issue.

[mamatotex97]

I was recently told by a middle schooler " gangs are just a way of our life, we're in them because we want to be".
That was just one of the more pleasant things I heard from this group of kids to put it nicely.
I don't worry about my son joining one, but I do worry that he'll be put in scary situations just because of where he is at. I am guessing that Sapphire and I aren't the only parents that feel this way. What irritates me are the parents of these kids that are in the gangs. What the heck are they doing??

[yosoyway]

Their parents are probably getting drunk or on drugs. Or they just don't have the energy to deal with their kids.

Best you can do is be involved in your child's life.