budnkota

oversized clothes? That's all I ever wore as a teen...

Chuck Taylor shoes? Man - I just helped one of my JD kids fix his a week or two ago... didn't even occur to me it was gang related.

Black? Again - pretty common!

I wish there were some magic protection - like being a good parent and teaching your child respect and manners would protect them from getting sucked into unsavory activities..

fallon

I would have no clue

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Kaytee

unless it was obvious I would say maybe not

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Music-dad

I'm with Kaytee on this one...luckily we don't have gangs around here that I know of.

Teresa

I would be clueless...and there are a LOT of gangs in our area, unfortunately.

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Claire64

I don't know if I would notice "gang-wear" but it's easy to tell that my kids don't have any. They wear American Eagle and Abercrombie.

Music-dad

Mine's in a tutu almost everyday or a pretty dress....

Gawd I hope it's not Baby Gang Wear

Ari2

Yikes! My son wears baggy clothes and black Chuck Taylors! But he is 19-months so he can't wander far.

Honestly, I would have no clue. The only thing that raises my suspicion for really bad behavior are obvious tattoos ("I <3 my gang" obvious) and homemade tats. I'd go more on the kid's friends and behavior.

thx1138

Obviously the best way to tell would be to pay attention to who your kid hangs out with. However it would probably be a good clue if your kid is wearing nothing but blue for an extended period of time. When I was in high school the local group all wore orange and green shoelaces to mark themselves. I'm really not sure though.

budnkota

Even if your kids not in trouble, the wrong clothes could send a dangerous message. Kids have been shot because they appeared to be part of a rival gang b/c of their clothes. kids who "look the look" are also more likely to be recruited into a gang.

Claire - I'm guessing your kids are probably recruitment free!

One of our JD kids is from a gang background (nothing like the influence of a big brother). He apparently planned to stay out when he left residential, but appears to be getting sucked back in. *sigh* I was filing his papers from around his release today, and it broke my heart. Listed as his fears? Dying. Getting Shot. Getting beat up. Is he going back in to savce himself from that?
It's so sad, because this kid has SUCH a great personality. he's kind of a smartass, but not in a disrepectful way. He's just a charming young man. I hate to see him throw his life away, but it's hard to overcome that home influence.
Meeting this kid on the street, it never would have occurred to me that he could be involved in anything like that. If my son was a teen and this kid came over to hang out, I never would have thought to question anything. I'd have thought my son had a nice friend... (I still think he's a nice kid... just subcuming to some bad choices...