Code of the Street and Attitudes Toward Intimate Partner Violence Among African Americans

Background and Purpose:

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is disproportionately higher among African Americans (AAs), with 44% of AA women and 40% of AA men reporting experiences of IPV. Research points to systemic racialized oppression and socioeconomic factors as explanatory variables for IPV statistics among AAs. Due to structural racism, AAs are more likely to live in communities with higher rates of violence. Research consistent with the “code of the street” thesis suggests that living in environments with higher rates of violence, may socialize people to resolve issues and problems with violence. This violence may be manifested in intimate relationships. However, little research has explored code of the street and its relationship to IPV. The purpose of this study is to examine the adoption of code of the street attitudes and attitudes toward IPV, as well as how this relationship may differ by gender.

Methods: The sample (N = 1050) was comprised of 525 (50%) men, 523 (49.8%) women, and 2 (0.2%) other. The average age of participants was 29 years old. The majority of participants reported either some college, undergraduate degree, or graduate degree (71.5). Approximately half (50.4%) of respondents reported an estimated household income of $50,000 or higher. The mean of attitudes toward IPV was 67.4 on a scale from 13-91, with lower scores endorsing IPV. The mean of code of the street was 16.8 on a scale ranging from 7-28, with higher scores endorsing the code of the street.

We contracted with Qualtrics, the online survey platform, to establish a sample and administer the survey in 2018. Through Qualtrics online panels, prospective participants who met the inclusion criteria (AA between the ages of 18–40 years and in an intimate relationship within the last two years) received email invitations to participate in a survey about intimate relationships. If potential recruits elected to participate, they were informed and agreed at the beginning of the survey that they would receive $10 compensation upon completion of the online survey (approx. 20 min).

Results: While controlling for participant characteristics, among the entire sample, we found that as attitudes that align with the code of the street increase, attitudes that endorse IPV also increases. A separate analysis of men only, revealed that this relationship continues to remain significant. However, in a separate analysis of women, a significant relationship was not found between code of the street and IPV. We consider these findings in the context of systemic racism and oppression, Black masculinity, and Black feminist thought.

Conclusions and Implications: The data reveals a significant relationship between code of the street and attitudes of IPV, specifically for AA men. These findings suggest that interventions seeking to change attitudes that endorse IPV among AA men, must simultaneously address attitudes that endorse code of the street and masculinity. Multi-level interventions are needed that consider racism, Black masculinity, and Black feminist thought in addressing the relationship between IPV and code of the street.