Gabriel Rivera, a life coach in NYC, was interviewed by Lon Woodbury who hosts Parent's Choices for Struggling Teenagers on L.A. Talk Radio. The guest spoke about gangs and adolescents at risk. He outlined exactly how gangs are a hazard to society and young people. He also talked about what parents can do to assist their children and help them to stay away from getting associated with gangs.
Since 1984, Lon Woodbury, the host of the radio program, has been helping families and struggling teenagers as an Independent Educational Consultant and as the author of the popular Woodbury Reports.
About the Guest
Gabriel Rivera lives in New York City where he works as a life coach for teens and young adults. In counseling families and their children, he draws upon his own experiences as a gang member in Southern California. This inside knowledge helps him when advising struggling teenagers and youthful adults associated with gangs. As a counselor, he has assisted family members and teens involved with gangs, drug abuse and other relevant issues for over 35 years
The Dark Side of Gangs and Adolescents at Risk
Mr. Rivera explained to Lon Woodbury just how gangs function and just how they put teens and others in jeopardy with their criminality. He spoke about how he joined a gang in Southern California when he was thirteen years old and described his inspiration for joining, tempted by the guarantee of money and power and a feeling of belonging someplace. He further explained just how he matured at fifteen years of age and realized that he needed to leave for his own good.
Gabriel also described how it is a lot easier to join a gang compared to leaving. Gangs abide by an ethos and value-system that can be summarized in a gang slogan, "the more you know, you more you owe." This is why the longer a person stays in a gang, the more difficult it is to leave.
Initiation into a gang begins by getting "jumped in," which basically means getting badly beaten up. When initiated, the teenager experiences a sense of bonding and is typically beguiled by the attraction of easy money and prestige through participating in criminal activities. Leaving a gang requires that he or she get beaten up again, often much more viciously, which is called getting "jumped out".
Frequently counseling is needed for an adolescent or young adult to break free from a gang since it is an extremely tight spot. There is a close connection between gangs and teens at risk due to the lack of a male authority figure at home.
Since 1984, Lon Woodbury, the host of the radio program, has been helping families and struggling teenagers as an Independent Educational Consultant and as the author of the popular Woodbury Reports.
About the Guest
Gabriel Rivera lives in New York City where he works as a life coach for teens and young adults. In counseling families and their children, he draws upon his own experiences as a gang member in Southern California. This inside knowledge helps him when advising struggling teenagers and youthful adults associated with gangs. As a counselor, he has assisted family members and teens involved with gangs, drug abuse and other relevant issues for over 35 years
The Dark Side of Gangs and Adolescents at Risk
Mr. Rivera explained to Lon Woodbury just how gangs function and just how they put teens and others in jeopardy with their criminality. He spoke about how he joined a gang in Southern California when he was thirteen years old and described his inspiration for joining, tempted by the guarantee of money and power and a feeling of belonging someplace. He further explained just how he matured at fifteen years of age and realized that he needed to leave for his own good.
Gabriel also described how it is a lot easier to join a gang compared to leaving. Gangs abide by an ethos and value-system that can be summarized in a gang slogan, "the more you know, you more you owe." This is why the longer a person stays in a gang, the more difficult it is to leave.
Initiation into a gang begins by getting "jumped in," which basically means getting badly beaten up. When initiated, the teenager experiences a sense of bonding and is typically beguiled by the attraction of easy money and prestige through participating in criminal activities. Leaving a gang requires that he or she get beaten up again, often much more viciously, which is called getting "jumped out".
Frequently counseling is needed for an adolescent or young adult to break free from a gang since it is an extremely tight spot. There is a close connection between gangs and teens at risk due to the lack of a male authority figure at home.
About the Author:
Find out more about Struggling Teens. Lon Woodbury has the recorded the entire interview on his L.A. Talk Radio show for people to listen to at any time.
0 comments:
Enregistrer un commentaire