Hand Signs — Hand signs are used by gangs to identify their gang and as a form of communication. They may also be “ fl ashed” as a warning or threat to rival gangs. They are often “thrown” quickly, making interpretation diffi cult for the non-expert.
Full Answer
What are the meanings of gang hand signs?
Hand signs used by gang members to identify their membership or to antagonize members of other gangs. The "Primo" Sign"Power" "Victory" Number One Piru Sign: "Blood"Kitchen Crip Bounty HuntersCrips: "Cousin"
What are common gang hand signs?
- Telephone. ...
- Serbian three-finger salute is a salute used by ethnic Serbs, made by extending the thumb, index, and middle fingers.
- The Scout's salute is a three-finger salute and sign used by members of the international Scout movement. ...
- The term "three-finger salute" is also applied in a joking way to the finger.
What are the different gang signs?
Signs of gang activity in your neighborhood: Clustering of groups of youth in public places (corner stores, etc.) wearing or displaying a particular color. Increased reports of fights and arguments on school property. Increased sightings of graffiti. Violent incidents reported in your neighborhood.
What are some popular Gang Signs?
Some symbols and numbers may have special significance within the gang culture in a particular area. A few common symbols from some of the large gangs in the United States are stars (five- and six-pointed), crowns, pitchforks (pointing up or down), three dots in a triangle, and numbers.
What are gang hand signs called?
When a gang member uses hand signs, it is often called "throwing," "throwing up," or "flashing" gang signs.
What does the 3 finger gang sign mean?
The Bloods gang sign is a small “b” made by touching your index finger and thumb, with the other three fingers pointed upwards. Members of the Bloods gang use the hand sign to identify themselves with other gang members, confirm membership, instill pride, communicate with allies, and intimidate their rivals.
What are gang members signs?
Following are some commonly found signs of gang membership and affiliation:Moniker. Gang members commonly, but not always, have a nickname or moniker. ... Gang Attire. Many gang members wear distinct clothing styles. ... Hand Signs. ... Graffiti. ... Jewelry. ... Weapons. ... Tattoos. ... Body Modifications.More items...
What is the gang sign for blood?
Gang hand signs are used by members to greet one another, give silent warnings, and intimidate non gang members and rivals. Common Blood signs include the letter B (top right) and the letters C K for Crip Killer (bottom right). Additional hand signs include blood spelled out and the five pointed star (middle right).
What gang sign is 4 fingers?
And if you're digging back to 2013, holding up four fingers means that you're an Egyptian who supports the Muslim Brotherhood. There's also this 2021 trend — another four finger signal went viral on TikTok — that actually ended up saving someone's life.
What gang is 4s?
Obi-Wan Takes the High Ground! - The LoopFour Corner HustlersRivalsFolk Nation, Crips, MLDS, Gangster DisciplesFactionsBARNONE 4CH, HADAIRE 4CH, 360 OUTSIDERS, BODY SNATCHERS, MACATIVE 4CH, MANIAC 4CH, ANGELO 4CH, SNIPER 4CH, L.T. 4s, SPANISH 4s12 more rows
What are the Crip gang signs?
Each gang has a sign or symbol that is formed with hands and fingers....Gang Hand Signs and Symbols.Small "b" Small "b"CK "Crip Killer" Hand Sign CK "Crip Killer" Hand SignLP Hand Sign LP Hand Sign13 Hand sign 13 Hand sign3 more rows
What gang is black?
Gangster DisciplesGangster Disciples symbolFounded1968ActivitiesDrug trafficking, assault, firearms violations, fraud, homicide, money launderingAlliesCrips Folk Nation Simon City RoyalsRivalsBlack P. Stones Bloods Latin Kings Crips People Nation Vice Lords Black Disciples Mickey CobrasInfamous Disciples7 more rows
What gang color is white?
Bandana Color MeaningBandana ColorMeaningWhiteRepresents peace and unity.PurpleRepresents the Grape Street Crips gang.GreenWorn by Bay Area Crips gang.BlackUsually considered a neutral color.6 more rows
How do Bloods shake hands?
2:317:10Chadwick Boseman Demonstrates the DAP Handshake | Da 5 BloodsYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipFor you to give your dad. Would you give them yo dad. And then in return. You give her back your dadMoreFor you to give your dad. Would you give them yo dad. And then in return. You give her back your dad. So that rhythm was a part of the death expression.
What do Bloods call their girlfriends?
“The males are called the Bloods; the females are called Bloodettes,” testified FBI agent Kevin Conroy at the Matthew Perry U.S. Courthouse in Columbia.
How do Bloods greet each other?
Bloods members also have a distinctive slang. They greet each other using the word "Blood" and often avoid using words with the letter "C". Bloods use hand signs to communicate with one another.
What is the name of the hand gesture that is a sexual connotation?
The Shocker . The shocker , also known colloquially as “two in the pink, one in the stink,” is a hand gesture with a sexual connotation. The ring finger and thumb are curled or bent down while the other fingers are extended. The index and middle fingers are kept together and the back of the hand faces outwards.”.
What does the sign of the horns mean?
Sign Of The Horns / Rock On. Sign of the Horns Emoji. A hand gesture raising the pinky and index fingers, on one hand, can refer to heavy metal, the devil, or encouragement to ‘rock on’ . This sign is very commonly used at rock concerts. However, don’t use this sign in Spain, Greece, or Italy.
What does the thumb gesture mean?
With the thumb held near the ear and the little finger pointed at the mouth, the gesture is commonly understood to mean “call me”, as it resembles a handheld telephone.
What is the 2 finger salute?
The ‘Two-Finger Salute' might look like a peace sign, but it’s actually the equivalent of the middle finger in certain countries like the UK, Australia , South Africa, Ireland, India, Pakistan, and New Zealand. The gesture is often performed by flicking the V up from the wrist or elbow.
What is the middle finger emoji?
Middle finger emoji. Yes, the middle finger (also knows as ‘the bird') turned sideways, is equivalent to the traditional finger in the air. This is an alternative gesture that teenagers sometimes use because it is less obtrusive – essentially, they're hoping not to be caught flipping someone the bird.
What does the heart sign mean?
Heart Hand Signs. Made popular by Taylor Swift as a sign meaning something between “I Love You” and “Thank You” to her fans. The heart hand sign is a popular hand gesture with young teens to show appreciation to someone.
What is the most well known sign language?
The most well-known is the American Sign Language . American Sign Language (ASL) is a complete, natural language that has the same linguistic properties as spoken languages, with grammar that differs from English. ASL is expressed by movements of the hands and face.
What is a gang sign?
A gang sign or symbol is a method used by gang members to make themselves known to rivals or allies. Traditionally speaking, these signs have manifested themselves in the form of gang-related tattoos, attire, graffiti, and even hand signs. Although most signs are relatively standard amongst some of the larger groups, ...
What are the signs used by gangs?
Other signs and symbols used by gang members are special handshakes, which is also a component of a hand sign. These are just a few of the signs used by gang members all over the world, but these are the most common ones.
What are signs and symbols used for?
Signs symbols have always been used to identify a certain gang or to disrespect or intimidate rival gangs. These signs and symbols come in many forms and have been adopted by different gangs or created by other gangs. Ever heard of the pyramid, or the five- or six-pointed star?
Why do gangs spray graffiti?
However, while gangs may create or use graffiti, it is not an indicator or result of any significant gang activity. More often than not, gangs tend to spray graffiti to mark their territories or to send out threats to rival gangs. When warring with another gang, they sometimes visit certain locations where the rival gang has already made its mark on and cross out the names of enemies or just cover these names with the help of graffiti.
Why do people use hand signs?
It is used in most situations where other signals or identifiers may not be appropriate or possible. Sometimes, it is used to show that a gang member wants to do business. Hand signs are generally made by the formation of fingers on one or both the hands so as to make a symbol.
How do gangs differentiate themselves from each other?
Each gang member will abide by certain laws and customs. Gangs can be differentiated from one another by their attire, colors, graffiti, tattoos, and hand signs.
What is a gang?
So, that’s precisely what a gang is – an organization whose main function is violence and criminal activity. Most gangs these days consist of young adults and teens who act together to commit acts that are violent and criminal in nature. Many gangs, though not all, sell drugs.
What are the indicators of gang affiliation?
Speech is the most obvious; however, gang members also make use of nonverbal methods of exchanging thoughts. Graffiti, hand signs, colors, and tattoos are indicators of gang affiliation. Gang members have their own language, which contains phrases, hand signs, tattoos, markings and graffiti. These often overlap.
What is the Bloods gang?
Originally from Los Angeles, the Bloods are one of the largest associations of street gangs in the United States. These extremely vio- lent and aggressive street gangs, referred to as sets, have adopted a common gang phi- losophy. Members use violence to protect and expand their drug distribution.
Where are the crips from?
crips. Originally from Los Angeles , the Crips are an organization of aggressive and brutal gang members who are heavily involved in the drug trade. Throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s the Crips developed intricate net- works and a respected reputation with other gangs across America.
What does it mean when a gang tag is in a new area?
New locations. A tag in a new area may reveal that the gang’s turf has increased. Conversely, a tag in what you considered to be a rival gang’s turf that isn’t crossed out may indicate a shift in the balance of power between two gangs with one gang losing turf.
Why do rival gangs use their moniker?
In certain instances, a rival gang member will use his moniker as part of the cross-out process , providing even more intelligence.
Why do gangs use graffiti?
Gangs use graffiti to mark their territory, mourn fallen members and challenge rival gangs. Apr 25, 2019. Gang graffiti is one of the most misunderstood elements in gang investigations. It can literally mean nothing in certain instances, while in other circumstances it conveys important messages between gang members – both friend and foe.
What is a cross out in a gang?
A cross out – crossing out, covering up or writing over a gang’s tag – is a flagrant act of disrespect and can often be an indicator of future violence between gangs.
What is a RIP tag?
“RIP” tags memorialize dead gang members. These can be good for gathering police intelligence regarding gang monikers. If you see an unfamiliar moniker pop up after a gang homicide, you can probably connect that victim with that tag. Occasionally gang members will list many of the monikers in conjunction with a RIP tag, sort of like a sympathy card.
What does a tattoo mean in a gang?
Some gang tattoos are meant as tokens of recognition for the individual’s rank and experience, the specific skills they have, or the crimes they’ve committed in the course of their activity within the group.
What does the tattoo on a crip stand for?
One form involves replacing individual letters in a word with the letter’s number in the alphabet – 1 for A, 2 for B, 3 for C, etc. For instance, the numbers 211 tattooed on a Crip member stand for ‘BK’, which in turn means ‘Blood Killer’ – indicating the individual has killed a member of the rival gang, the Bloods.
What does MOB stand for in Blood?
Besides the use of code, Blood members will often have the letters MOB tattooed – standing for ‘Member of Blood’ . The word ‘Piru’ is also common. The original Blood gang was called the Compton Pirus (named after West Piru street in Los Angeles), so this is a throwback to the gang’s origins.
What do the three dots on a tattoo stand for?
Three dots – arranged in a triangle, they stand for ‘prison, hospital, cemetery ’ – the typical path of a gang member. In some circles, this would be the first tattoo received by an individual before becoming a full member of the gang. This design is associated primarily with the Mexican Mafia.
What do the scarab beetles represent?
Scarab beetle – also a symbol of good luck for thieves, usually symbolizing a pickpocket . Star – generally, each point of the star represents a year in prison. Elite members of organized crime in Russia, known as Vor V Zakone (‘thief by law’), use a star with 4 large arms, 4 medium ones, and 8 small ones.
What are the tattoos on Russian prisoners?
Russian prison tattoos. Of the markings given to Russian criminals in prisons, the known symbols include: Cat – common for thieves. A single cat means that the thief acted alone, while several cats together indicate theft as part of a criminal group.
What does the skull on the forehead mean?
Military insignia – often signify that the prisoner was a high-ranking criminal prior to being incarcerated. Skull – usually means that the prisoner is a murderer. Barbed wire – when placed on the forehead, it means the prisoner is serving a sentence of life imprisonment without possibility of parole.
What does it mean when you put your fingers together?
It means that they're shy — too shy to say what they're thinking, or that they're busy working up the nerve to share whatever's on their mind. Fortunately , that means the sign is pretty innocent!
Why do teens turn their middle finger sideways?
Yes, the middle finger turned sideways means the same exact thing as the traditional finger in the air. Sometimes teens do this because it's less obtrusive -- essentially they're hoping not to get caught flipping someone the bird.
What does the Peace sign mean at Woodstock?
And we're thankful for that, because that means we know at least some of what our kids are doing with their hands! The same peace sign the hippies used at Woodstock is popular with kids today, and yep, it still means "peace" — and it's still a frequent fixture of teen selfies. 2/17. Jeanne Sager.
Is the sign "this" meaningless?
The sign itself is pretty meaningless, and kids just call it "this.". The game is to try to get people to look at "this," at which point you make fun of them. Yes, it's as silly as it sounds — as if teenagers need to have a reason to make fun of someone (and as their parents, we're usually their target). 13/17.
Is the sign "this" silly?
The sign itself is pretty meaningless; kids just call it "this." The game is to try to get people to look at "this," at which point you make fun of them. Yes, it's as silly as it sounds.
Is the peace sign sideways?
This sign doesn't mean anything scandalous — it's just a peace sign on its side. Yes, it's sideways, but if you thought that changes the meaning of the gesture, it's actually not that complicated at all. The sideways peace sign actually means the same thing as the traditional peace sign. 12/17. Jeanne Sager.