Is the Street Code Protective? A Gendered Assessment of “Nerve” and the Victim-Offender Overlap

• In Event: Causes of Violence

Abstract

Ethnographic research on the role of violence in many inner-city communities suggests there is a common belief that a willingness to engage in violence, or to display “nerve” through a tough demeanor and a willingness to fight, reduces the likelihood of future confrontations and is thus protective. Quantitative research on the code of the street suggests otherwise, however, and is consistent with the general literature on the victim-offender overlap, whereby those who perpetrate violence are at high risk of violent victimization. Others suggest that while the “code of the streets” operates similarly in many respects for both boys and girls, gender likely shapes these experiences. The current study examines whether or not “nerve” is a gendered construct by examining the influence this phenomenon has on later involvement in violent victimization and offending. Using panel data from the national evaluation of G.R.E.A.T. program to operationalize Anderson’s concept of “nerve,” we assess the potentially gendered influence of this concept on later violent offending and victimization. Results suggest that while having “nerve” in the face of imminent victimization risk is associated with heightened levels of violent offending and victimization for boys, girls who display this quality are at lower risk of violent victimization.

Authors

• Chris Melde, Michigan State University

• Finn-Aage Esbensen, University of Missouri - St. Louis