Officials have been issued a guide to spot the first signs of gang membership.

Youth workers, youth offending teams and social workers will be given the tips to try and intervene before kids get mixed up in gangs.

Among the signs kids might be in a gang are a new nickname, aggressive behaviour towards other youngsters and having graffiti style tags on possessions such as school books.

Anecdotal evidence shows that more children, including girls are becoming gang members, particularly when they have older siblings involved in gangs.

They can quickly become involved in illegal and dangerous activity such as violent crime.

The new guidance, developed with the police and local authorities, lists 16 signs that should ring alarm bells and will be sent to thousands of youth and social workers later this year.

It outlines what signs to look for, what traits make a young person most “at risk” of getting caught up in a gang and provides an overview of support and intervention that are available to anyone working with young people.

Minister for Children and Young People, Beverley Hughes said: “Involvement in gang activity is a very real and complex issue facing many children and young people, and this guidance aims to help early detection, intervention and support for those most at risk.

“People working with young people at risk are ideally placed to spot the early signs of gang involvement and we want them to be aware of these top danger signs to make sure identifying them becomes a routine but essential part of their work.

“Lots of work is already being done by those who work with young people and across Government to tackle the problem of gangs, both from a wider preventative perspective and a public protection angle. "And when younger brothers and sisters are in danger of being drawn into gangs it’s a child safety issue too and every means of protecting them must be used, including holding parents to account.

“Working together is the only way we can intervene early and help young people stay away from the harm caused by gang activity.”

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