A N.C. District Panel May Offer New Anti-gang Initiative

Gang-related offenses represent a tiny portion of student violations in Guilford County Schools.

But a committee of parents, student advocates and district staff want to help schools prevent gang activity from becoming a bigger problem.

The school safety committee could recommend a district wide initiative to the Board of Education later this year.

Deena Hayes, a school board member and the committee’s chairwoman, said she hopes any program will address the root causes of why children join gangs rather than focus solely on curbing bad behavior.