AGAINST GANG VIOLENCE.... BY TEENS.....

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[more] Our Magazines YCteen (teen magazine) Represent (foster teen magazine) Video: Engage hard-to-reach teens with compelling content. Watch more videos Follow us on: Gangs (29 found) One Day (of 2,920) in Prison Najet is serving an eight-year term in prison for attempted murder and several other charges. She describes a day inside, including working at the mosque, studying for college classes, and avoiding other inmates. (full text) Blood Ties The author joins the Bloods gang at age 12, searching for a family. Now family means her girlfriend, but she's stuck in the gang. (full text) Movie Review: The Interrupters of Gang Violence The Interrupters documents a group of ex-gang members who work to calm neighborhood violence through a unique program in Chicago. (full text) I Want Out of My Gang 'Family' The author joins a gang when she's 13, drawn to the loyalty and protection they seem to offer. Instead, the gang puts her in danger and disappears when she gets locked up. (full text) Gangs Rule My Neighborhood Gangs control the housing projects the author lives in. Even though he's not in a gang, he has to observe their rules and suffer their violence. (full text) Crip to Corporal The writer sees the armed forces as his only option to escape an impoverished and embattled neighborhood. (full text) Why I Beat Up Strangers The author is exposed to violence from a young age, and he comes to see it as normal, then fun. He worries that if he's not a predator, he'll be prey. (full text) Nothing Cool About Prison Former gang member Sean "Dino" Johnson, who now works at a violence prevention organization, talks about how he turned his life around. (full text) My Secret Life in the Intimidation Clique The author misses her birth family terribly when she goes into care, and she feels invisible and unloved. She joins a clique that fights other groups after school. (full text) Is My Brother in Danger? The writer's younger brother dresses and talks like a gang member. Since they live in a gang-infested neighborhood, the writer worries that his brother is in danger, and he interviews a police officer about it. (full text) Thug Wife No More The author meets a gang leader on a dating website and is drawn into the gang. The boyfriend cheats on her and then turns on her, and she gets locked up. (full text) Never Going in Again The author joined a gang and was sentenced to a juvenile detention facility. The complete loss of freedom convinced her to seek success in school rather than the streets. (full text) Finding Redemption Desmin is inspired by the biography of the late Stanley "Tookie" Williams, executed for murdering a family. Desmin is fascinated by Tookie's gang past yet he also hopes to renounce violence and fly straight like Tookie did on death row. (full text) Almost One of the Gang Although many of his friends are gang members, the writer decides not to join. (full text) My Boyfriend Was a (Latin) King The writer won’t stay with her boyfriend if he stays in the Latin Kings. (full text) When Things Get Hectic Juan is torn between watching his friends’ backs and staying out of trouble. (full text) The Last to Know The writer discovers her boyfriend has joined a gang. In Too Deep Philip interviews two former gang members about the costs of being down. I Lost My Boyfriend to Gang Violence Betty and Frank join a gang and get caught up in violence. My `Gang-Related' Weekend After a violent confrontation with rival gang members and other close calls, the writer is happy to return to her group home. The Real Deal on Gangs The writer interviews three teens who are members of the Bloods, La Familia, and the Latin Kings. Down With The Decepts (Pt. I) Christopher joins a dangerous gang when he’s 13. After going to jail and seeing a relative killed in the drug trade, he turns his life around. Crewsin' for a Bruisin' Troy gives a “who’s who” of typical gang characters. My Crew Was My Family Xavier, 13, runs away from an abusive home and lives on the streets. His street friends become his new family. Remembering Mike Carlos reflects on an incident in the schoolyard that robbed him of one of his closest friends. What Ever Became of the Untouchables? In a follow-up to the previous article the writer learns the fate of his former gang members. The Life and Times of a Decepticon David interviews a former female member who describes her descent into the gang lifestyle and how she managed to escape. Two Days With a Posse The writer spends two days with his old gang and writes about their partying, random gunplay, and seemingly suicidal lives. Life As a Blood The writer joins the Bloods to gain status, respect, and love, having suffered from physical and sexual abuse in her adoptive home. In Too Deep: Teens Write About Gangs [BUY NOW] The Morning After: Teens Write About Sex and Unplanned Pregnancy [BUY NOW] Growing Up Black: Teens Write About African-American Identity [BUY NOW] Things Get Hectic: Teens Write About the Violence That Surrounds Them [BUY NOW] Reading, Resilience and (Teen) Role Models Resource Kit [BUY NOW] 10 Copies of Represent: Issue #107 - Gang Life [BUY NOW] Single Copy of YCteen: Issue #229 - Anxiety [BUY NOW] "I Listen to Teens" Mug [BUY NOW] WHO WE ARE | FOR EDUCATORS | FOR AGENCIES | FOR PUBLISHERS | FOR TEENS | NEWS & EVENTS | PERMISSIONS | PRIVACY | CONTACT US Copyright © 2013 - Youth Communication - 224 W. 29th St - New York, NY 10001 - Ph: 212-279-0708 - FAX: 212-279-8856