Gang Prevention in Schools: Creating a Secure Base and Safe Haven

This book delves deep into the hidden population of former gang members who share their positive and negative experiences of being gang members. Their stories of violence, hopelessness, despair, and loneliness also offer a seed of hope - they contain the building blocks for prevention. By understanding why they each turned to gangs, how they turned to gangs, and what went wrong for some along their pathways during childhood, as well as how and why they chose to leave the gang lifestyle, we can begin to put the pieces together and understand tools for gang prevention.

Schools are in the unique position to become an oasis or a safe haven for a child in a world that does not otherwise feel safe to them. School staff members can step in and become consistent people in a child's life. They can help to identify at-risk youth and intervene, facilitating a change in path away from gang membership. This book discusses how schools and staff can be instrumental in gang prevention and outl