CASE STUDY #9 JAVIER (Gangbanger)
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Javier came to “I CARE” at the insistence of his probation officer. From the age of 12 he had been in a violent street gang. In one turf battle with a rival gang Javier was struck in the back of the head with a baseball bat. He still carries a huge scar and an indentation in his head as a reminder how close death can be for a gang-banger. He still has occasional blackouts, some speech difficulties and will never be able to obtain a legal driver’s license. From the age of 12 on he has spent roughly half of his life in juvenile hall. In his last court appearance the judge told him that he would go to adult prison upon his next conviction of probation violation or any other arrest. “I CARE” was literally his last chance!
When he first entered our group he projected that “been there; done that” attitude typical of those who have spent a lot of time locked up. It took several sessions for his group leader to get Javier’s story. As a person of small structure he had always been an easy mark for bullies and the “give me your lunch money or else”- type thugs. His Mother's move to a larger city landed him in a much rougher neighborhood than his previous digs. With no male influence in the home he became an easy recruit for the prevalent Nortanyo gang that flourished with several others in his new city. The gang turf war that almost cost him his life was also his first serious fight. Talk about “baptism by fire”!
Javier’s “I CARE" group leader called for an intervention which involved four members of our partner group “CURA”, a Spanish acronym for “brothers united to reform addicts”,two of whom just happened to be former members of the same gang. Javier agreed to the intervention and began his story in typical halting fashion but was assured by the candor of the adults that he was in a safe place where he could get understanding and support to “stay out of hard time”. As of this writing Javier has been out of the judicial system for 22 months.
Analysis: Gangs clearly offer something to young people. We are, after all, social animals. The “lone wolf persona” glorified in our society is not a viable alternative for surviving in a rough inner-city junior high experience. By learning the needs that gangs meet for our clientele we are able to duplicate those services and provide some new ones:
1) Never having to deal with the justice system.
2) Taking advantage of the numerous benefits of an education.
3) Feeling good about yourself and what you stand for. “If we don’t stand for anything
we will fall for everything!”
4) Experiencing the joy of giving of ourselves for the benefit of others.
NOTE: After at least 25 years of mutual cooperation between CURA and the “I CARE” program I was handed an envelope by the group leader from the CURA administrative office informing us that they would no longer be able to provide adult group facilitators. You might be able to understand my emotional reaction …it was somewhere between a kick in the groin and a stab in the back. I read the brief letter several times before I finally shared it with the volunteer adult leaders. We stood together in zombi-like suspended animation as the students filed into the meeting room. A few of the more “with it” group members could sense some drama afoot. (One thing that catches the attention of people in this age group is DRAMA!)
As the shock began to wear off all of the leaders started to pull each other aside and attempt to console each other with the hopeful thought that this didn’t necessarily mean that our program was totally dead. (In a coma, for sure, but not yet ready for the last rights!)
After the large group session was over we all stayed around to commiserate and share thoughts. It was decided that for the remainder of the quarter we would create experiences that were not so dependent upon adult leadership.
One leader suggested that we consider having student leaders for each of the ten groups. At that time we had at least eight students at each table. The adults would circulate among 2 to 4 tables each to “put out fires). This worked out quite well for the rest of that winter quarter.
When the spring quarter started we had identified at least ten returning strong students and placed them “in charge” of their group. It didn’t work out perfectly because many of them lacked the “street smarts” that the adults brought to the table but by the end of the quarter they all gained confidence and leadership skills.
It wouldn’t surprise you to know that confronting their peers can be a daunting challenge for most young people but those who rise to the occasion gain skills that are extremely useful in an adult workplace.
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NOTE: Some of you might want to know why the CURA people had to leave us. The main reason was the passing of state legislation that decriminalized some minor drug offenses. This completely altered the commitment of the people entering CURA. Before they were required to stop using and prove that they were ready to accept the challenges of the program. The new entrants were given the choice, by a judge, of going to jail or attending rehab. They were faced with a systemic pair of similar negative choices as opposed to seizing an opportunity to make better choices which could start the journey to a better life. The lack of commitment made the CURA enrollees less desirable as role models for our students.
Exercise #7 Learning Style Inventory
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