Evidence-Based Intervention Fact Sheets
Deterring Gang Involvement
School District Five of Lexington & Richland Counties
Ballentine, South Carolina
SS/HS Grantee
The towns served by South Carolina’s School District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties have traditionally been bedroom communities for the city of Columbia. In recent years, suburban sprawl and new construction, including low-income housing projects, have brought problems typically associated with poorer urban areas to these communities. These changes, as well as a student population that is growing by 600–700 students each year, have resulted in increased levels of crime, disciplinary problems, and suspensions and expulsions in District Five’s 19 schools. Especially troubling is the presence of gangs, which have expanded from their traditional turf in the city to the suburbs, where they attract young people from every socioeconomic level.
The District Five Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative is using a variety of programs to prevent their students from becoming involved in gangs, alcohol, and other drugs. These programs include school-based components such as crisis management training for staff and a curriculum designed to deter children from gang involvement; community-based efforts to bring information about gangs to parents, business leaders, and others; and a range of programs targeting young children before they become involved with gangs, drugs, and violence.
The centerpiece of District Five’s gang-prevention activities is the Gang Resistance Education And Training (GREAT) program, a curriculum taught by sworn officers (in this case, School Resource Officers from the two counties’ sheriff’s departments). The program uses a life-skills approach to help elementary and middle school students make the right choices when it comes to delinquency, youth violence, and gang involvement. GREAT also includes a Summer Leadership Program for 7th and 8th graders that reinforces the lessons learned in the classroom and provides positive activities and structure during the months when too many children combat boredom by experimenting with drugs and associating with peers who are already involved in gangs.
In addition, District Five works with parents, law enforcement, local business owners, and other members of the public on community-based activities that complement its school-based efforts. For example, District Five’s Gang Awareness Training for school staff, parents, and students is a collaboration between the district security director and sheriff’s department staff to keep people informed about gang activities and culture. Joellen Cook, District Five SS/HS Project Director, explains that such educational efforts are important since “the ways gang members identify one another can change constantly. It might be a particular color, a certain type of tennis shoe, or a particular type of and color jacket.” Information about gangs—and how to prevent children from becoming involved in gangs by making good choices—is also presented to the community through Community Forums on Youth, Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Use, Violence, & Gangs. Another group of partners, The Community Roundtable—composed of school staff, community members, parents, students, and representatives from other concerned organizations—meets regularly to strategize addressing gangs, violence, and other problems.
Joellen Cook also says that it is essential for schools to implement programs for younger children (as well as older ones) in order to deter them from becoming involved with gangs later in life. The District Five SS/HS Initiative uses the Second Step program to teach younger children how to make positive choices and the Success in Schools program for those children who require more intensive intervention (for example, counseling, home visits, and parent education). The Alternatives to Suspension Program allows elementary school children who would otherwise be removed from school because of disciplinary infractions to remain in a positive learning environment. Those children who need to be temporarily removed from their regular classrooms are transferred to an “Expectations Class” where they complete their regular class work while receiving specialized counseling, including instruction in resolving conflicts and resisting the use of alcohol and other drugs. Parents of children in the program are required to attend parenting sessions in which they learn how to reinforce these important lessons at home.
District Five makes a special effort to include parents in all of its programming. Joellen Cook says, “Parent participation and involvement is the key to helping children stay away from harmful substances and groups. We help families stay informed and educate them while we teach their children at school. The support of the community has been a real key in this initiative, and working together has been essential in the effort.”
For more information about these and the other components of the District Five SS/HS Initiative, contact Joellen Cook at (803) 732-8230, ext. 210, or JoCook@lex5.k12.sc.us.
