This document discusses gangs in East London and potential solutions to gang involvement. It describes some youth groups that help current and former gang members by providing mentoring and support. Examples given are www.gangsline.com and www.fixers.org.uk. The document also suggests that communities need to work together to prove to gang members there are more disadvantages than advantages to that lifestyle. It proposes the government offer more opportunities and education to at-risk youth, such as arranging meetings with prisoners, to discourage gang involvement and help them pursue alternative paths. Pressure on the government is needed as current police tactics are making the situation worse.

1. First Draft
Gangland
Snapchat news article
What I know about gangs/my experiences
What I know about gangs is that most of them always carry weapons
on them for example a knife or a gun. They would carry weapons as
they would say it’s for protection in case their rival gangs come to
their area to look for trouble. We as a whole need to make the
government more aware of these issues because it is starting to get
out of hand I know so much about these gangs because of where I
live and also my experiences with them. I’ve been in situations from
where people try stab me when they pull out a knife on me to them
trying to rob me and then them trying to fight me. What happened
to me could happen to you child and I don’t think any parent would
want to see or hear this happen to their child.
Gang youth groups in East London
In East London, there are a range of different youth groups that help
struggling gang members and they also help gang members come
out of gangs. One example of these youth groups are
www.gangsline.com. What they deliver is a mentoring curriculum
which is approved by past gang members who use their own
understanding to support and involve. This crucial tool is planned to
reach helpless youth and people affected by gang members. Another
example is www.fixers.org.uk. How is started was that London’s gang
life led to the death of one of her childhood friends, a Fixer has
thrown a film to shed light on the reasons why people get caught up
in gangs. By more gang members getting into this, is would lead to

2. them changing their lives and coming out of the gang life and
becoming something in life.
How can gang life be stopped/making changes
When you see gang members in big groups what do you see them
do? Drink alcohol, smoke weed, play loud music but to prevent this
we as a community need to work together and change this and prove
to gang members that there are more disadvantages than
advantages to being a gang member. I feel that gang members have
many opportunities in life but it’s just that they are not taking there
opportunities and they feel that gang life is the best option in life.
What the community and the government need to do about gangs is
that they need to offer them a bit more. Even though there are many
opportunities, they would get granted them because of their past so
they feel like there is no point of doing something better with their
lives. What the government can do is offer them an education to be
taught about the dangers and the consequences of being a gang
member, maybe they could arrange them to meet prisoners? To get
them to think that being a gang member is a waste of time and it is
doing nothing to yourself. We need to pressure the government
more because it seems like they are not going anything about them,
all they do it send the police out to seize and search gang members
but that will make the situation worse because they spend more
time getting down the inactive ones than getting down the active
ones.