Working with young gang members in high school setting, please advise

Hello, I am currently working with a young man in high school who on Thursday went to court and was determined to no longer need the probation monitor on his ankle. I am just a student aide but have to keep track of data such as inappropriate conversation, inappropriate use of his phone in class, and any sort of violent contact that I must report to his parole officer. I have never worked with anyone from this sort of criminal background before, though living on the border of downtown Newark, NJ I do have very little (read: almost none) experience... what experience I do have is mostly getting stalked, being the victim, trying to think ahead to avoid further confrontation from a large group of them, etc.

This boy is super smart, but he also walks around like his poop doesn't stink. His mom is in line to be deported and he is under the care of his grandma along with his two brothers and infant sister. He told me his dad has been in jail for the past fifteen years.

We don't have too much rapport other than an interest in firearms. Sometimes he asks me if I have any information about how a particular sight works or how much a particular firearm costs, which usually ends with, "You can get that for three hundred dollars less on the street." I try to be law-conscious with him, as I used to be able to conceal carry when I lived in Florida and the first thing we ever learned from our instructor was to know the law, know your parameters as a gun owner, and how people are treated especially when they're carrying illegally. Again, though, as much as I tell him he will be tried as an adult if he is caught with an illegal loaded firearm once more he insists he's just a kid and his shit won't get kicked in.

I'm really trying to be his advocate, I'm trying so hard not to lose faith or become disappointed. I'm just scared one day I'll come to school and he won't be there because he's back in juvie, or worse off, dead.

I don't know if he will be considered for an IEP or 504 considering he has bigger issues, but academically he does well though he becomes frustrated because he is unable to track words while reading.

Please advise, anything helps

Submitted May 12, 2019 at 12:29PM by rabid_erica http://bit.ly/2E4ImWO