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Citation |
Wilkinson DL, Beaty CC, Lurry RM. Ann. Am. Acad. Polit. Soc. Sci. 2009; 623(1): 25-38. |
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Copyright |
(Copyright © 2009, SAGE Publishing) |
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DOI |
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PMID |
unavailable |
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Abstract |
In 1983, sociologist Donald Black proposed the theory of “Crime as Social Control,” in which he argued that for the socially disadvantaged, crime is commonly moralistic and can be characterized as self-help in the pursuit of justice when legal protection fails. This article uses Black's theory as a framework to assess the role of violence among African American male youth in disadvantaged urban communities in New York City. Using in-depth interview data for 416 young violent male offenders, the authors analyze youths' perspectives on their personal safety; access to legal, governmental, and communal protection from violence; the effectiveness of the criminal justice system and police in addressing crime and violence in their neighborhoods; and the need to rely on self- and group/gang-protection as a means of social control. The implications for self-help theory are discussed. |