Meet "Stefan" and "Carlitos."

These are fake names because these teens are gang bangers, members of SUR 13. They saw violence and crime at an early age, and took to committing it while they were quite young.

On Tuesday, you can hear what these young men have to say about gang life in a Georgia Public Broadcasting documentary. "Growing Up with Gangs" deals with why children join gangs, their inspiration for doing so. Viewers will be able to speak with experts.

The documentary was written, directed and edited by David Zelski, a GPB senior producer who also co-hosts "Lawmakers," a GPB political show. Some visual footage dates to 2003, but interviews with law enforcement officers, gang experts, and current and former gang members are more recent.

There's an estimated 750,000 gang members in the United States. Thousands abound in Georgia —- Dalton. Douglasville. Gainesville. Gwinnett. According to ScanGwinnett, the online radio communications Web site, authorities have identified hundreds of street gangs that operate in the area.

They may not be household names, but some are colorful and menacing. Brownside Locos. SUR 13. Latin Lords. You've probably seen their graffiti in Gwinnett. Some of it shows up as footage in the documentary. The film also features interviews with local authorities who are on the front lines to combat street gangs or deal with the after-effects.

Dedicated professionals include Detective Marco Silva of the Gwinnett County Police Department, a former "Latin King" as a Chicago teen. Today, he's co-founder and president of the Georgia Gang Investigators Association.

In the film, he offers a statewide perspective of gangs and recruitment, and he hammers home a point he tirelessly espouses:

Get educated.

"Find out how the Gwinnett gang prevention unit or I can educate you," he told me. "Get with law enforcement departments in your city, such as Lilburn and on and on. People in the community don't get involved till they become a victim or they are affected personally.

"But that's the case with everything, not just gangs. That's just how a lot of the public is. Look at the gasoline crisis. Now we are making a lot of noise about it. Same thing with water."

By no means will this half-hour documentary answer all the questions regarding gang proliferation in Georgia. Nor does it examine every measure local and federal officials implement to curb it. It's definitely a good public service, though, the kind of programming you'd expect from GPB.

Zelski said "Stefan" and "Carlitos" were excited about telling their story, showing their toughness. During the interview, he asked if they had any goals in life.

"They both said 'Of course,' " Zelski said. "But the saddest thing is that they both had the same train of thought —- that when you join a gang, you have to stay in it for life."

A Frontline documentary on cyberspace safety kicks off an evening of topical programs on Georgia Public Broadcasting. "Growing Up Online" airs at 9 p.m. Tuesday. It will be followed by "Growing Up With Gangs" at 10 p.m. For two hours beginning at 9 p.m., viewers will be able to speak with experts by calling 1-888-685-2815.

> Rick Badie's column appears on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Contact him at 770-263-3875 or e-mail: rbadie@ajc.com.