Gang Alternatives

Society has left a void that gangs take the opportunity to fill. The solution is to fill the needs in positive ways.

Much has been written about the problem of gangs and the social problems they cause. Gangs are a type of social group that has grown because society has missed the mark somewhere in providing for the needs of teenagers.

What we should Do:

Study what gangs do right. Look at the way gangs provide for the needs of people (security, belonging, etc.).
Develop alternative social systems that provide needs in a positive and constructive way. Teenagers need a group of people that take care of each other, people to whom it matters what happens to them.
Start at the beginning, provide for the needs of children at early ages (see Child Care).