Code of the Street

Violence Prevention

Violence among young African American men continues to be a large public health problem. Statistics reveal that homicide is the leading cause of death for African Americans age 10 to 24 year olds (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 2014). Additionally, among youth and young adults age 15 -24 years killed by firearms in the US, 60 percent were African American or Hispanic (Teplin, McClelland, Abram, & Mileusnic, 2005). In a study by Teplin et al., researcher found in a study of youth processed in the juvenile justice system that Young African American men were more likely to die a violent death compared to non-Hispanic white or Hispanic youth (Teplin, McClelland, Abram, & Mileusnic, 2005).

Many young African American men particularly in urban settings live by the ‘Code of the Street’, in which they exert extra masculinity to intimate peers and to establish credibility (Stewart, Schreck, & Simons, 2006). The problems with violence are worsened by ill relationships between police and young African American men. Reports indicate that the likelihood of police contact (including stops) for African America men in urban settings is higher than in any other ethnic group (Meares, 2008). Some youth may feel harassed, embarrassed and develop significant distrust for police officials.

To ameliorate this problem programs should be developed to address violence prevention. In response to the public outcry to violent situations among African America youth and police shootings in place like Ferguson, MO, President Obama recently began the My Brother’s Keeper program as an institute to develop leadership, conflict resolution, interpersonal, and life skills among youths but particular for young men of color. Ongoing study and data collection is needed to inform programs like this and to help reduce violence among the target population.

References

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (2014). Youth Violence: facts at a glance. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/yv-datasheet-a.pdf

Meares, T. (2008). Legitimacy of police among young African-American men. The Marquette Law Review 92, 651.

Stewart, E. A., Schreck, C. J., & Simons, R. L. (2006). “I ain't gonna let no one disrespect me” does the code of the street deduce or increase violent victimization among African American adolescents?. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 43(4), 427-458.

Teplin, L. A., McClelland, G. M., Abram, K. M., & Mileusnic, D. (2005). Early violent death among delinquent youth: a prospective longitudinal study. Pediatrics, 115(6), 1586-1593.