As death toll rises, advocates in Metro Vancouver tell parents to watch for signs of gang activity

Advocates are raising concerns about gangs recruiting youth, particularly those of South Asian heritage, in Surrey, B.C., following five shootings in the Lower Mainland since April 30.

"A disproportionate number of South Asian youth have been lured into this gang lifestyle and have become victims of the social disease," said Sukhi Sandhu, a spokesperson for a group called Wake Up Surrey, which aims to prevent gang violence in the city.

"There's a fair amount of anger, disappointment, frustration with the system, frustration with our community."

Manpreet Sarai, supervisor and educator with the anti-gang program at the South Asian Community Resource Office in Abbotsford, said anytime violence is reported in the community, parents worry their child "will be next."

"The youth do like to talk about what's happening in the community, who's getting shot at or who's been shot at. Usually the youth know before anyone else finds out in the community," she told CBC's Anita Bathe.

"That's kind of shocking to know that this is the interest of some of our youth to know exactly what's going on."

Bribery and revenge have been escalating among high school-aged kids, Sarai said.

"It starts really small with an argument or disagreement. This has been recently escalating to fights, property damage and more violence."

What to watch for

The reasons youth turn to gangs are vast, Sarai said. Some are looking to fit in, others are seeking protection after being involved in other violence and some are searching for a sense of identity. Others join because they already have connections tothe gang world.

Sarai said young South Asian males with developmental disabilities are at higher risk of being recruited into gang life.

"Some of these youth did not get tested for developmental disabilities until they hit middle school or high school," she said.

"By the time they got there they were just trying to fit in with the rest of the youth. They started joining those different gangs to show they were one of them and they could fit in.

Sarai said most of the youth her organization works with come from middle-class families, often from immigrant parents. They currently serve 45 youth, and have 40 more on a wait list.

Sarai advises parents to watch for warning signs with their children, including coming and going in the middle of the night, skipping school, having unexplained money and expensive gifts, multiple cell phones or weapons. They should also know who their friends are and keep track of their kids' activities in and out of school.

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Wake Up Surrey alsoofferstopoint parents toservices thathelp families dealing with youth in gangs.

"As parents, we need to have these tough conversations with their own household," Sandhu said.

To hearSukhiSandhu's interview on CBC's On the Coast, click here: