Gangs vs. Bullying

As parents, you may be hearing more and more about bullying among teens, and in some cases, cyber-bullying. So what is the difference between someone who is in a gang versus someone who is just a bully?
For one thing, bullying does not necessarily mean gang involvement, however, it can often lead to gang affiliations. While you want to steer your teen away from both forms of delinquent behavior, the following list provides some distinguishing characteristics that set gang involvement apart from individual or group bullying:

Characteristics of Gang Involvement

• Exclusivity: Gangs tend to be exclusive, causing members to cut-off all outside influences from non-members, including friends and family.
• Crime: Activity and attitudes are frequently criminal and antisocial in nature. Gang crime originates for several reasons including profit, rivalries, building reputation, and “jumping in” rituals for new members.
• Rivalries: An important point to understand about gang rivalries is that anyone associated with a gang may be in danger from either known or unknown rivals. Rivalries are traditional and rarely questioned or evaluated. They tend to be impersonal including random retaliatory acts against a convenient victim or target a particular individual who committed an insult or offense. Families and friends of members are seriously at risk of harm, as rivals do not consider their well-being. Rivals don't necessarily cease to represent a serious danger just because an individual quits the gang. Individual members have no control over the perceptions or actions of rivals. Nor do they have control over - or often have an awareness of - events that may lead to violence where they may be the victim.
• Loyalty: Members are expected to continue participation in the gang once they have been “jumped in.” They are also expected to remain involved in the activities, which the gang as a whole feels are desirable, regardless of the individual member’s personal feeling about such activities.

For general information on gangs and bullying , visit the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center.