NCJ Number
159317
Journal
Atlantic Monthly Volume: 273 Issue: 5 Dated: (May 1994) Pages: 80-83,86-89,92-94
Date Published
1994
Length
11 pages
Annotation
A social scientist looks at social relations among black young men and women in urban areas and explores the "code of the streets" which amounts to a set of rules governing interpersonal public behavior including violence.
Abstract
Street rules regulate the use of violence and allow those who have aggressive tendencies to precipitate violent encounters in an approved way. At the heart of these rules is the issue of respect, loosely defined as being treated right or granted the deference one deserves. The code of the streets is actually a cultural adaptation to a profound lack of faith in the police and the judicial system. In particular, police officers are often seen as representing the dominant white society and as not caring about inner-city residents. Significant differences exist between "decent" and "street" families. Street parents often show a lack of consideration for other people and have a rather superficial sense of family and community. By the time they are teenagers, most young people have either internalized the code of the streets or have at least learned the need to comport themselves in accordance with its rules. Establishing a street self-image involves acquiring things of value by violent or other means. Among males, concerns about self-image and material things are often expressed in the context of manhood. Central to the issue of manhood is the widespread belief that an effective way of gaining respect is to manifest nerve. Teenage girls are increasingly imitating the more aggressive and violent characteristics of teenage boys. Street young people seem to have a cavalier attitude toward death, and the hopelessness and alienation felt by many black young men and women in inner cities fuels their violent activities.