Gangs In Schools Survey

While researching local issues, I followed a link to the National Gang Crime Research Center's Gangs and Schools Survey (2006).

This was an eye opener. It's a pretty broad survey covering 46 of 50 states, one of which is Maryland.


-- Two-fifths of schools report gang fights near schools.
-- Two-fifths of schools expect an increase in gang problems.
-- One third of schools report gang recruiting near schools.
-- One fourth of schools report a gang shooting near school.
-- One fourth of schools report a drug-related shooting near school.
-- One fourth of schools report "white racist" "extremist" organizations are active near school.
-- One half of all schools report gang graffiti near schools, and this graffiti isn't going away.
-- Three fourths of schools want a gang prevention program.

The finding that worries me the most?

-- Gang disturbances are more common in public schools than they are in state prisons.

The question asked in the survey that seems to me to be most openly weird?

"[H]ave there been any reports of occult-type activities among students in your school during the last year (e.g., dabbling in satanism, witchcraft, odinism, etc)"

You might as well ask "have there been any reports of religious recruitement activities among students in your school during the last year". Or, "have you identified the unbelievers and heretics".

Just say "no" to gangs, just say "no" to racial extremism and hatred, and also just say "no" to intolerance of religion.