One of the dangers we must protect our teens from is the recruitment by gangs and cults. They both work in very subtle ways to target those teens they think will be most easily seduced. Teens most vulnerable are those with low self-esteem, few family ties, or families that ignore
them.

Gangs pull kids in by showing them how to fit into a different lifestyle. They build up their self-image by praising them for the crime they do. They tolerate all those things most parents cannot.

Cults' methods include making the young person more dependent on them and turning them away from the family unit. Usually there is an element of spirituality, religion or the unexplained involved in cults.

Both gangs and cults have one basic premise that replaces the parents and family of that young person in order to achieve their own goals.

Prevent this problem by providing the family your teen needs at home. Be attentive, listen carefully to what they say and don't say. Know their friends and what is going on in their lives. Keep communication open. Never stop showing your child you love them. Even when your teen's behavior is unacceptable, even when they pull away, even when they act like they hate you, be there for them. If you do not give them the family they need, the street will.

Credits: Jo Ann Wentzel