CPL. Brian Wilson: How to Keep Kids Away From Gangs

The gang problem that we have been facing has been a difficult one, with some solutions working better than others. CPL. Brian Wilson explains how best to keep kids away from them.

MCFARLAND, CA / ACCESSWIRE / July 31, 2020 / Gangs are a major issue that America has been dealing with, and one that requires a nuanced approach. It’s important to stamp out criminal activity as best you can in the most responsible way possible, but you also have to make sure that these young people who get inducted into gangs have a path to salvation, as it were. In order to help educate people on the process and the best way to keep kids away from getting into gangs in the first place, CPL. Brian Wilson has provided his services therein.

CPL. Brian Wilson on the best approaches to keeping kids from gangs

The first thing to do as a parent, CPL. Brian Wilson points out, is to be aware of what is going on in your child’s life. You do not want to be clingy or overbearing, but showing interest and keeping an eye out for potential warning signs, such as any tattoos or colored iconography, a lot of money mysteriously, or generally finding themselves in trouble more often, especially with the police. Make sure to offer them structure, so that they feel there is a place to go to in the first place, rather than needing to hang out with the wrong crowds. Also try to encourage and enable healthy relationships and hobbies; after-school programs do a lot of help with this, and they will be more likely to find good friends there to boot. Just make sure that these programs don’t interfere in their education. Slipping grades can also contribute, CPL. Brian Wilson points out.

CPL. Brian Wilson on the best approaches to getting kids out of gangs

Now, this is the part that is a lot trickier, CPL. Brian Wilson laments. Once they are in, there are a lot of influencing factors at work that are going to make it that much harder to get back out again. Other criminal elements are at work, influencing their decision and making them feel like they have no other choice but to stay in the gang – or even worse, that they are obligated to the gang and its members. Trying to get kids out of gangs is a lot like deradicalizing people, pulling them away from bad elements and getting them back onto a normal path, CPL. Brian Wilson explains. However, like deradicalization, it is not easy. If you are ever to try, you should make sure that you remember: despite the crimes they commit and the people with whom they consort, they’re still people, and being treated as such does a lot more to help them than you would think, CPL. Brian Wilson notes.