Code of the Street

"The code of the street has to do with the difference between “decent families” and “street families”, as Anderson calls them. The decent families believe in family values, provide their children with a supportive network and an accepted code of behaviour. In street families, in poor urban areas, it’s all about respect and aggression. To be respected in this environment you have to give the impression that you are capable of extreme violence quickly. In Britain, for example, people have pit bulls, prison muscle and tattoos. Giving the impression that you are capable of extreme violence is very important. The code of the street says that the moment you are disrespected you have to avenge that with violence. If you combine this desperate search for respect with the hormonal nature of teenagers, you have a very explosive mix. Choices are massively influenced by peer groups. Quite often the influence of the older kids is very powerful, especially when there is no father around. Young boys are impressionable and are looking for role models. It’s the luck of the draw if you get influenced by a malevolent male role model or a good one. That’s why I think mentoring is very interesting. Mentoring as an early intervention gives these kids with behavioural difficulties a chance to have a decent role model for a period of time. Ex-offenders command huge respect among the kids and are able to turn them away from gang crime. Get the weekly Five Books newsletter Once kids are already involved in gang crime, it’s very difficult to make them stop. Group dynamics play a big part. You get toxic groups of boys and young men. People are carried along by the group, and make very bad decisions as a group that they wouldn’t necessarily make as an individual."