NCJ Number
207507
Journal
Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice: An Interdisciplinary Journal Volume: 2 Issue: 4 Dated: October 2004 Pages: 303-328
Date Published
October 2004
Length
26 pages
Annotation
This study drew on previous research and recent longitudinal data to test Elijah Anderson’s (1999) “code of the street” thesis.
Abstract
Anderson’s ethnographic research on urban violence yielded his thesis on the “code of the street,” which maintains that the violent behavior of many low-status urban youth is facilitated by a street culture that prescribes violent reactions to perceived interpersonal attacks or disrespect. Researchers have criticized the generalizability of these findings and the ethnographic method used to collect the data. This study offers a quantitative test of Anderson’s “code of the street” thesis by analyzing other quantitative studies of youth violence, as well as longitudinal data from the first three waves of the National Youth Survey, which provides self-reported data on adolescent delinquent behavior. The current study also assessed the extent to which code-related beliefs mediated the effects of other variables on later violence. Results of structural equation modeling indicate that individuals who hold beliefs consistent with the “code of the street” are more likely to engage in violence. Moreover, the data revealed that these types of beliefs mediated the relationship between other demographic variables and violence. Thus, the findings support Anderson’s observations regarding a “code of the street” and its relationship to violence among disadvantaged urban youth. Future research should look beyond the individual-level factors assessed here and focus on the role of contextual, neighborhood-level variables in the development of violence-related beliefs and violent behavior. Figures, tables, notes, references