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Young Gangsters Distort Golden Rule: Do Unto Others Tor What They Did to You

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Young Gangsters Distort Golden Rule: Do Unto Others Tor What They Did to You ------ ------ ------ If you have issues viewing or accessing this file contact us at NCJRS.gov. Young gangsters distort Golden Rule: Do unto others tor what they did to you. o • NATIONAL SCHOOL SAFETY CENTER NEWSJOURNAL FALL 1989 J 121384- U.S. Department of Justice National Institute of Justice 123189 This document has been reproduced exactly as received from the person or organization originating it. Points of view or opinions stated in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the National Institute of Justice. Permission to reproduce this copyrighted material has been granted by Pepperdi~g Universl~'t~YL-_____ National School Safety Center to the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS). Further reproduction outside of the NCJRS system requires permis­ sion of the copyright owner. ""'--= , .' ".' ,¥IJ , : ; '. J .- . ~. .~ . .' .:". ' . ' '. :"ff'. , . ' " CONTENTS NATIONAL.SCHOOL 4 When you're a Crip SAFETY CENTER (or a Blood) Pepperdine University's National School Safety Center is j~3\'8Y n pannership of the U.S. Depanment of Iustice and U.S. Depanment of Education. NSSC's goal is to promote safe schools free of drug traffic and abuse, gangs, 12 LA's gang busters weapons, WIIdalism and bullying; to encourage good lessons learned discipHne, attendance and community support; and to help en~tire a quality education for all children. By Suzanne Harper Ronald D. Siephens, Executive Director J;?313S"' Stllart Greenbaum, Communications Director Ronald W. Garrison, Field Services Director 16 Gangs, guns and drugs James E. Campbell, Business Manager Bernard James, Special Counsel By Ronald D. Stephens Pepperdlne University NSSC Sleering Council: 1;?313Co David Davenpon, President, Chair; William B. Adrian, Provost, Vice Chair; Andrew K. Benton, Vice President, University Affairs; Nancy Magnusson-Fagan, Dean, 20 Gangsters: Back Graduato School of Education and Psychology; Ronald F. to the future Phillips, Dean, School of Law; Charles B. Runnels, Chancellor; Ronald D. StIlphens, Ex~cutive Director, By Ronald W. Garrison NSSC; Iohn G. Watson. Vice President, Student Affairs; and lames R. Wilburn, Vice President and Dean, School Id3/31 of Business and Management. 23 Fighting crime for kids' sake School Safety By Karl Zinsmeister School Safety is published by the National School Safety JQ3f8~ Center to communicate current trends and effective pro-­ grams in school safety to educators. law enforcers, law­ yers, judges, governm~nt officials, business leaders, 27 Troubled Asian youth: journalists and the public. Publication dates are Septem­ ber (Fall issue), Ianuary (Winter issueJ and May (Spring The deafening silence issue). Annual subscrip:lon: $9.00. By Jeffrey J. Munks J ~ 3 If? Ronald D. Stephens, Executive Editor S2Uart Greenbaum, Editor/Art Director Brenda Turner, Suzanne Harper, Associate Editors Updates 2 NSSC Update Cynthia Randolph, Photocompositor Anicles in this pUblication may be reprinted - excluding individually copyrighted material - with credit to School SafelY, NSSC and a copy of reprints 10 NSSC. School 31 National Update Safety encoumges the submission of original anieles, anwork, book ",views and lellers 10 the editor and will review and consider each item for publication. 32 Legislative Update Correspondence for School Safety and the National School Safety Center should be addressed to: National School Safety Center, 16830 Ventura Boulevard, SUite 200, Encino, CA 91436, telephone 8181377·6200. FAX 8181377·6209. 33 Legal Update Prepared under Grant No. 85-MU-CX-0003 from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Office of Iustice Progmms, U.S. Depanmenl of Iustice. 34 Resource Update Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represenl Ihe offici,l lj position Qr policies of the U.S. Depanment of Justice, U.S. Department of Education or Pepperdine University. Resources 18 NSSC Resources Copyright © 1989 National School Safety Center. 19 NSSC Resource Papers About the cover; Gang "brothers" pose for Ihis ponrait, proudly flashing their gang hand sign. Photograph by Merrick MortOn. 35 "Principals 01 Leadership" School Safety 3 Fall 1989 BY RONALD W. GARRISON Gangs, bistory tells us, have changed little through the centuries as groups of violent, delinquent youths. Learn­ ing from this dark past may shed light on the future. Gangsters: Back to the future Into the woods, but mind the past. Divine Comedy, placed many members fered youths valuable vocational skills; Into the woods but mind the future. of the Florentine Blacks in various a minimal level of care that included Into the woods, but do not stray. levels of The Inferno. room, board and education; and a posi­ Or tempt the Wolf or steal from the Gang activity flourished in colonial tive role model provided by the master Giant. America as well. One American wrote craftsman, according to James Haskins, in his diary on January 14, 1766, "Chil­ author of Street Gangs: Yesterday and - Stephen Sondheim, dren nightly trampouze the streets with Today. "Into the Woods" lanthorns upon poles, the Magistry... do By the 1830s, traditional apprentice­ not dare suppress it." But by February ships had been replaced by the practice The Blacks and Whites were at it again, 6th, the citizens apparently rallied of exploiting children in factories with­ but this time the Blacks (named for the against the youth, taking back their out providing the requisite care the ap­ colors they wore, not their race) went streets. The diarist notes, "This night prenticeship system previously deliv­ too far. At a May Day dance, the several children were dispersed by ered. For those who could not or would Blacks launched a deliberate attack, watchmen (for the first time) for parad­ not cope with the factories' harsh con­ wounding many Whites and cutting off ing the streets with three effigies and ditions, it was easier to earn a living on the nose of a White leader. A witness candles, being about 300 boys." the street by forming and joining gangs. to the event stated, "The devil began However, one show of force didn't The lessons of history can guide to­ his work with these young men, work­ solve the problem in the 18th century, day's efforts in the intervention and ing together in a pitch of arrogance any more than it does today. In 1791, prevention of youth gangs, alter our using weapons and their hands." Philadelphia's American Daily Adver­ perceptions of gangs, and change our Another contemporary declared, tiser complained, "The custom of per­ response to gang members and the vio­ "They have come in a. short time to mitting boys to ramble about the streets lence they perpetuate. In fact, the simi­ great estate and, having reached it, they by night is productive of the most larities between gangs of a century ago are not only luxurious and offensive but serious and alarming consequences ... and those creating the urban nightmare uncultured and ungracious." assembled in corners, and concealed of 1989 are startling. This account is not from 1989 urban from every eye, they can securely in­ For example, by the 1820s, the Five America, but from 14th century Flor­ dulge themselves in mischief of every Points-Paradise Square district of New ence, Italy. The incessant gang violence kind. The older ones train the younger York City had become a haven for street at that time had such an impact on one in the same path they themselves pur­ gangs organized in the backrooms of young White gang member that he sue." grocery stores. By 1855, New York had poetically placed some of his rival gang Vast armies of runaway youth roamed an estimated 30,000 gang members. members in hell. Medieval gang mem­ the streets of American cities during the These gangsters adopted names and ber Dante Alighieri, author of the 18th and 19th centuries, in part due to created the symbols of their member­ the prison-like conditions found in or­ ship, much as today's gangs use hand Ronald W. Garrison is field services phanages and the elimination of cottage signs and colors to differentiate them­ director for NSSC industry apprenticeships, which had of- selves from their rivals. The Plug Uglies School Safety 20 Fall 1989 wore large plug hats stuffed with wool and leather for protection, and the Shirt Tails defied fashion by wearing shirts outside their trousers. The Dead Rab­ bits liked to wear a red stripe on their pants, while the Roach Guards sported a blue stripe. From 1830 to 1860, gang violence turned Paradise Square into a battlefield. The Dead Rabbits and the Roach Guards were rival gangs that eventually formed an alliance against the Bowery Boys. (One female Dead Rabbit known as "Hell-Cat Maggie" filed her teeth to sharp points and had long fingernails made of brass.) Today, gangs actively recruit juve­ niles, knowing they wiil face less severe legal penalties if caught in a criminal act. According to Robert Lauder, author of Fighting Violent Crime in America, "It is in the gangs that the underaged crimin'ills are most useful. Only 1 per­ cent of children 10 or younger who are New York Public Library Picture Collection picked up go into institutions, compared to 20 percent in some cities for those the gangster replied, "Well, I had 49 Fighting the attraction of gangs who are 17." He estimates that a million nicks in my stick, and I wanted to For more than a century, sociologists serious crimes, from larceny-theft to make it an even 50." Another Plug have debated why some people fall into murder to arson, are committed by chil­ Ugly seized a stranger and cracked his the "law-abiding" category and others dren age 12 and under. In much the spine in three places just to win a two­ into the "law-violating" group.
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