| RESPONDING TO GANG VIOLENCE |
Can Healthy Marriages Help Prevent Crime?
 Healthy marriages and strong families can help prevent adolescents from joining gangs, which have caused more than 20 deaths in Chicago Schools this year alone, says marriage and family therapist, Dr. Alicia La Hoz, director of Chicago's Family Bridges program.
"Young people want to belong to something special, and if they can't find it at home, they search elsewhere," La Hoz told listeners during a recent radio interview. "Gang membership is viewed as a place where adolescents can get attention, support and acceptance of their peers."
La Hoz said children will be less likely to join a gang if parents work as a team and become leaders in the home. Parents must talk to their children and teens about violence and crime, and stress the importance of an education and doing well in school.
Eating dinner as a family actually reduces the risk of teen delinquency, said La Hoz, and spending free time together gives children a sense of belonging. Other suggestions parents might try:
- Set limits and rules for your children.
- Don't buy or allow your children to wear clothing that resembles gang wear.
- Find positive role models for your children.
- Develop open, frequent and positive communication within your family.
In the coming months, several members of the Family Bridges team will be developing intervention and prevention strategies that are more focused on gangs and their families. To learn more, contact DebbiSpeck@UrbanStrategies.us |
