Code of the Street: Violent Youths & Gangs

For several decades, researchers have studied the race/violence relationship. A number of explanations have been put forth to clarify the forces at play behind this relationship. Elijah Anderson, a professor of sociology currently at Yale University, presents a compelling argument for the high rates of violence among African-American adolescents. In his "code of the street" thesis, Anderson argues that the economic disadvantage, social dislocation and racial discrimination encountered by some African-American adolescents foster deviant, anti-social attitudes (ie: a street code) and developmental pathways that are related to violent behaviour. This book explores the research into the validity of the "code of the street" theory.

Preface; The Code of the Street & African-American Adolescent Violence; Adolescents, Neighborhoods & Violence: Recent Findings from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods; Attorney General's Report to Congress on the Growth of Violent Street Gangs in Suburban Areas; FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin; Drive-By Shootings; Highlights of the 2007 National Youth Gang Survey; Index.