Where are your kids right now?

A 14-year-old boy was brutally beaten to death near his suburban home May 30 by a group of teens claiming to be in a gang, according to a report by "Good Morning America" (GMA) today.

"He died on our street in suburbia where we paid $350,000 for a townhouse in a neighborhood where our shutters have to match our doors," Jenny Adkins said about the murder of her son, Christopher Jones, in Maryland. Javel George, 16, and an unidentified 14-year-old boy have been charged with the murder, according to GMA.

This violent crime in suburbia last week was committed by the hands of a group of young teens claiming to be a gang. I am prompted to reconsider what a gang really is, and how we can keep our kids safe from being victims or perpetrators of violence.

Most common presumptions are that gangs only exist in urban and low-income areas, they always include older teen or adult leaders, and your kids would never get involved in one. But in reality, a gang can happen at any age in any area, because it can start as simply as a small group of mischievous kids in a middle-class neighborhood looking for violent or destructive stimulation or entertainment.

This is an especially growing threat in an age where children are more desensitized to violence than previous generations were, because they are exposed it at a very young age through many romanticized and graphic cartoons, video games, movies and TV. Because of this, it is vital that parents remind their kids that those virtual and Hollywood realities are different from the one that they actually live in.

It can be very hard, if not impossible, for working and single parents to always know where their kids are, who they're with, and what they're doing. That is why it is so important to talk to them every day, even if it is only a short chat for a few minutes; even if they roll their eyes and whine.

Ask them about their life and acknowledge their accomplishments. If a child or teen feels like they matter at home, they are less likely to look for that recognition (respect) elsewhere; like in a gang.

Whether religious, atheist or other, remind kids about the importance of taking social responsibility, and respect for others, life and the law seriously.

Talk to them about their long-term goals. Where do they want to go to college? What do they want to be when they grow up? Youths who have an idea about what they want their futures to be, are less likely to commit crimes that will jeopardize that now.

Finally, never assume that a bully is just a bully. If your kid is being picked on or bullied, follow your instincts. Contact other parents, school officials or even the police if necessary. It is better to lose a little sleep to get to the bottom of a threat, than to get a dreaded phone call because that threat was real.

Stay concerned. Stay connected. Stay in control.