Tagger Safety In
yourisCommunity
It a community crime
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Are your kids at risk
• Beginners select a tag name and practice writing their
tag over and over. They write on their books and
binders and may begin tagging in the community. They
are always prepared with markers and spray paint so
they can tag if an opportunity presents itself.
• Risks to Beginners
Beginners may start to be distracted in school because
they are practicing their tags.
They are starting to break the law by tagging on other
people’s property or even stealing markers and paint.
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• Developing taggers have created a unique
style and often start a graffiti practice book.
They start associating with other taggers and
may form or join a tagging crew. They will tag
more often and in more difficult places. They
will go out late at night for the sole purpose of
tagging.
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Tagging
By:
Ramon & Robin Martinez
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Do taggers know what they are
getting into when they tag?
• Yes they do but
most of the time the
taggers are trying
to claim their
territory.
• Tagging begins with
gangs, crews and
even mafias.
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What can we do to stop tagging?
• One option is to call the police right
away and hope they catch the taggers.
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Why do adults
treat children
like criminals?
Sometimes adults treat us like
criminals because of the way
we dress or how we have
our head shaved. The main
reason why we did this
presentation is so adults can
stop treating us like
criminals.
.
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It not cool you be the fool
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What is graffiti?
A definition:
• Words or drawings, especially
humorous, rude or political, on
walls, doors, etc. in public places.
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What is graffiti?
Modern
Tag
• the writer's logo, his/her
stylized personal
signature.
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Issues
Is graffiti a problem?
• Graffiti is sometimes seen as a sign, an
indication of:
– social break down
– Impoverishment
• But, sometimes graffiti is understood to be
more menacing than just a sign pointing to
problems.
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Issues
Is graffiti a problem?
• Some see graffiti as a threat -- something that:
– actively contributes to increasing disorder
– marks gang (or otherwise dangerous) territory
– increases risk and vulnerability
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Issues
Public approaches to handling graffiti
A • “Spread the Paint”, financial assistance
Vancouver’s
mural program provides sanctioned spaces
The City offers repair kits or
forproperty owners for graffiti removal.works
graffiti writers to display their work.
to graffitimanagement program,
together with:
Property owners can donate a wall for the
‘Community Paint Outs’ encourage community
mural –business and property owners;up
program. The City facilitates the process
groups, businesses and residents to team
improve the supplies. and residents;
and provides the physical appearance of their
–community groups
neighbourhood.
–graffiti artists
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Risks to Developing Taggers
•
Developing taggers may start to skip school and
sneak out of their homes late at night to do
graffiti with a tagging crew or group.
• They put themselves in danger by being out in
the middle of the night.
• They are breaking the law more frequently and
taking more serious physical risks by tagging in
difficult places.
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Tag
• There are two types of graffiti. That perpetrated
by taggers, and that done by gangs.
– Tagger graffiti is very artistic, often bubbly, and hard
to read. It’s more about expression and the thrill than
about marking territory or sending a message.
– Gang graffiti is generally simple and legible, and is
used for one of the following purposes:
• Roll call: a list of gang members names (usually nicknames)
• Identification of alliances: lets other gangs know that two or
more gangs have formed an alliance
• Declare war: show which gangs are fighting
• Tribute: to pay tribute to a dead member(s) or to warn that
someone’s marked for death
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• Graffiti can be classified into three basic types or styles
that are known as togging, bombing, and piecing.
Tagging is the simplest and quickest, involving only the
marking of the tagger's initials, symbol, or alias. This
may be in the manner of unreadable writing or initials,
often made with spray paint in large rounded bubble
style letters. They can also use markers to place their
initials or "tag" on a variety of surfaces. These taggers
are called "writers."
Bombing takes a little more time to complete and may
be multicoloured and detailed.
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• Piecing is the highest level and often takes extensive time
and work to complete. Those who create these elaborate
designs are called "piecers," after the "masterpieces" they
do.
• Taggers usually operate independently or in small groups of
two or three, called crews. Crews will also choose their own
name or symbol. The name may be comprised of 2-5 letters
or numbers.
It doesn’t matter what background you come from, it is
more important that you are a good writer or piecer and
how daring you in getting your name or crews name "up".
The goal of the tagger and their crew is to get "up" as much
as possible. Therefore, tagging crews go on "bombing"
raids, doing extensive damage to the community in one
night. The goal of the tagger is exposure and this does not
limit them to operating in any one area the community.
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• Practiced taggers will have a very elaborate
graffiti style and have all the necessary graffiti
tools. They will look for highly visible locations
to showcase their work. They will carry a
camera to photograph their graffiti.
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Risks to Practiced Taggers
•
Practiced taggers continue to break the law on a regular basis,
including stealing graffiti supplies.
• They are becoming less involved with school as the association with
the tagging crew becomes more important.
• Due to the amount of time spent on their elaborate work, there is a
risk to their health from the toxins in the paint.
• As their need for recognition grows, they put themselves in more
dangerous situations in order to apply graffiti and gain recognition.
• It is possible they may now be participating in other illegal or
dangerous activities such as drinking, smoking, drug use or gang
related activities.
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What is a Gang?
There is no nationally accepted definition, but
most agree on the following elements:
– A group of three or more people
– These people share a common identifying sign,
symbol, or name
– Gang members individually or collectively engage
in an ongoing pattern of criminal or delinquent
activity
– They are often between 12 and 24
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Conditions that Enable Gangs To Grow
• Socializing agents are ineffective
• Abundance of free and unstructured time
• Limited exposure and access to good jobs and
careers
• A place to congregate, a well-defined
neighborhood
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Why do adults
treat children
like criminals?
Sometimes adults treat us like
criminals because of the way
we dress or how we have
our head shaved. The main
reason why we did this
presentation is so adults can
stop treating us like
criminals.
.
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Indicators of Possible Gang Involvement
• Gang graffiti on folders, desks, walls, and
buildings
• Developing a bad attitude towards
family, school, and authorities
• Staying out later than usual
• Carrying weapons
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Is All Graffiti Gang Graffiti?
No, some graffiti is tagger graffiti.
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Tagger Graffiti Gang Graffiti
Communication secondary, if present at all Intent made to communicate
Artistic effort a major consideration Artistic effort secondary, if present at all
Territorial claims infrequent Territorial claims prominent
Explicit threats rare Explicit threats made
Explicit boasts about tagger common Explicit boasts made about gang
Pictures and symbols dominant, letters and
Letters, numbers, and symbols dominate
numbers secondary
Limited police intelligence gathered Intelligence to police provided
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What is Tagger Graffiti?
It is usually more artistic.
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What Can We Learn From
Graffiti?
Gangs may use graffiti to claim a particular
area as their turf.
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Graffiti may show what gangs are fighting,
arguing, or “beefing.”
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Graffiti may present the gang roll call.
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Why Individuals Join Gangs
• Fun and excitement
• Identity and sense of belonging
• Peer pressure
• Financial gain/drugs
• Protection
• A family tradition
• A failure to understand what being in a gang
means
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Who Joins Gangs?
• Recruits generally range in age from 12 to 24
years
• Most members are boys, but 10 percent of all
gang members are girls
• All ethnic groups and income levels are
represented, and gangs are found in all parts
of the country
• Certain risk factors increase the likelihood of
gang involvement
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Associated Risk Factors
• Living in an area with a high level of gang
activity, drug/alcohol use, available firearms
• Lack of a positive support system at home
• Violence against family members
• Exposure to TV shows, movies, and/or music
that glorifies violence
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Associated Risk Factors (cont.)
• Lack of alternative activities, such as community
youth programs
• Lack of positive role models
• Low self-esteem and/or a sense of hopelessness
about the future
• Poor decision-making and communication skills
• Too much unsupervised free time
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Associated Risk Factors (cont.)
• Poor school achievement
• Problematic child-parent
relationship
• Lack of respect for authority
(parents, teachers, law
enforcement officers)
• Family members who are or were
gang members
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What Parents Can Do
• Be a positive role model.
• Do everything possible to involve your
children in supervised, positive group
activities.
• Praise your children for doing well and
encourage them to do their very best.
• Get to know your children’s friends and
their parents.
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What Parents Can Do (cont.)
• Set limits for your children, and
enforce them.
• Do not allow your children to dress in
gang-style clothing, to practice gang
hand signs, or to write gang graffiti on
any surface, including their bodies.
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What Parents Can Do (cont.)
• Know where your children are at all times,
and schedule activities to occupy their free
time.
• Get involved in your children’s education,
and encourage them to stay in school. Be
active in the PTA.
• Teach your children to set positive goals,
to hold high standards, and to prepare for a
positive future.
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What Parents Can Do (cont.)
• Explain to your children that only a
very small percentage of youth join
gangs.
• Help your children to understand the
natural consequences of being involved
in a gang.
• The more connected a child is with
family, school, community, and positive
activities, the less likely he or she will
be attracted to gangs.
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What Neighbors Can Do
• Get to know your neighbors and their
children.
• Communicate.
• Maintain a standard for your neighborhood’s
appearance that tells gangs that they are not
welcome.
• Work with your local law enforcement agency
to develop a community strategy against
gangs.
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Getting Out of a Gang
• Speak to a counselor, police officer,
clergy, or other professionals about ways
youth can create distance between
themselves and the gang.
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• Some consider graffiti to be artistic.
• It may be seen in an unconventional way and is unsolicited, that doesn't
necessarily disqualify it as art. It's simply unconventional and unsolicited
art.
• Some say it represents man's desire and need for communication, and the
history of this type of communication dates back to one of the first
communicative acts--drawing.
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Is vandalism the same as
tagging?
Tagging is one type of vandalism
because when people tag there
vandalizing the streets and
neighborhoods.
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• As their need for recognition grows,
they put themselves in more
dangerous situations in order to
apply graffiti and gain recognition.
• It is possible they may now be
participating in other illegal or
dangerous activities such as
drinking, smoking, drug use or gang
related activities.
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