Parents many times ask themselves why their children are dropping out of school and joining gangs?and how could they prevent it from happening? The answer is at home.

      Parents have an obligation to guide, support, and teach their children how important an education is. The lack of parental guidance is not acceptable because it brings many consequences. A parent should encourage his son or daughter to meet successful people that will motivate them to become someone in life. Many parents do not know how their child is doing in school. Now, how can someone be motivated to stay in school and make good grades? if the parent does not seem to care. Another major mistake parents commit is been unaware who their son or daughters friends are and in what ways they influence him or her. Support is something that everyone needs, especially from parents. Children should always be supported in what they are interested in and ideas that they may have. Emotional support must exist for someone to be successful; there is no substitute for it. Everyone goes through times when we need someone to be there unconditionally. Sports and hobbies are a great way to keep your mind busy so supporting your son or daughter will keep them away from seeking other negative ways to entertain themselves. We all go to school to learn and be thought by teachers, but parents should also be teachers at home. Some things are not learn in school such as manners, respect, and good morals. An unmannered, disrespectful, or a person with no morals will not get anywhere in life because for someone to get respect must give respect. All are life we are told that a higher education is very important, but when it comes from parents it definitely seems more important. To someone inexperienced a friend may be anyone who seems to do the things that you think are cool, but parents should also teach their child how to tell when someone is a good friend and discourage them from getting involved with bad friends. The lack of parental guidance, support, or teaching can lead someone to look for what is missing somewhere else, like a gang.

      Gangs believe it or not offer exactly what a parent can offer a child. One reason someone joins a gang is that within a gang; it offers what he may not be getting at home. Most gangs will guide their new members into alcohol, drug usage, and crime which would seem fun and cool at the moment, but if they do not know better then it all may seem just fine. In a gang people usually change and become someone they are not because any gang member must always show courage and must constantly prove themselves to fellow gang members. A gang revolves around support that is the reason they exist. A member will always have the gang to support them emotionally or financially. This is one reason that when someone joins a gang he or she becomes detached from the family and it feels that there is no need for one. People sometimes wonder why gangs are so close and hard to make them turn on each other it is because many of the members are there for the same reason, and they build a brotherhood. The veterans, or sometimes called “Ol’ Gs”, of the gang also serve as teachers and consultants. From the veterans many things are learned such as how to rob, steal, and distribute drugs. These are all bad things to learn, but they must be learn in order to keep their status as a gang member. Loyalty is probably lesson number one, and if you want to continue to be a member or in some cases keep your life, this should also be number one in your head at all times. All the guidance, support, and lessons come with a price. The price can be high because most members become drug abusers and criminals which lead them to prison.

      Crime, drug usage, and alcohol are all common in gangs, but what it is also common is getting caught and doing some time in prison. Gangs like a business need time and money to keep it going. Members do not go out looking for jobs instead they rob, steal, and sell drugs to obtain it. All of these are crimes that come with a risk of doing time in prison. Gangs to keep respect and claim territory must constantly fight or even murder rival gang members to get respect.

     Parents usually wonder and ask why their children are involved, when the answers is at home. Parental guidance is very important to teenagers and young adults, at this age they are in a time of need. teenagers at these age are trying to choose a road to take and without the right guidance, "parents", they could take the wrong road and be lost for ever. 

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