Lessons of the Street Code

Abstract

Elijah Anderson argued that adoption of the street code should reduce victimization risk for individuals who have to navigate disadvantaged, high-crime neighborhoods. In a recent article, Stewart, Schreck, and Simons (2006) examined whether adopting the street code decreased violent victimization, as Anderson suggested. Stewart et al. found no support for the idea that adopting the street code reduces victimization. Instead, they found that individuals who adopt the street code have higher levels of victimization. In addition, the results highlighted that the street code is related to both violent offending and violent victimization. In this article, the authors focus on the policy implications of Anderson's “code of the street” thesis, violent victimization, and offending. They argue that improving police—citizen interactions may be a starting point for restoring legitimacy in the police and criminal justice system, which may in turn reduce violence in street code—dominated areas.