YOUTH OPINION : ‘We Do This to Protect Ourselves’ : An 8th-grader at Orville Wright Middle School in Los Angeles gives us, anonymously, a glimpse of her attraction to a street gang.

My ‘hood is one of the most important things in my life. The people I kick it with are one of a kind. They are always there when I need them. They show me kindness and (provide) protection. We are always looking out for (one) another.

“Watching each other’s backs” is what we do best for one another. We might (have to) fight or even kill other people that mess with us or try to hurt us. We do this to protect ourselves.

People don’t want to even try to understand why we do the things we do. People don’t realize that all we really have is each other. People don’t even know what it is like to have your parents hate you for “hanging around with the wrong crowd.” Or for not coming home one night and you get kicked out. How about getting beaten or molested to a point where you (have to) take off?

Try having a family that doesn’t care if you live or die and that sometimes wishes you would die.

We call one another “homeboy” or “homegirl.” That’s in a way calling each other brother and sister.