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Just over 10 years ago, Anderson (1999) published Code of the Street, which described a behavioural code that both generated and regulated street violence in the inner-city suburbs of Philadelphia. Since then, there has been some research conducted in the United States that has tested further the concept of a street code, but little similar work in Europe exists. In this paper, we explore narratives of incidents of street violence provided by convicted violent offenders. Examples are given of violence that appears to have the characteristics of code-following of the kind described by Anderson (1999). The paper notes the potential importance of the existence of a 'code of the street' in the United Kingdom in understanding and responding to street violence.

Recent developments in the study of narratives suggest that people can construct identity by referencing acculturated stories (i.e., formula stories) and often do so when explaining untoward behavior. Formula stories connect one’s personal identity with generally accepted subcultural identities and the narratives associated with them. In light of this, it becomes clear that cultural codes (e.g., the code of the streets) provide structured storylines. Using data from semistructured interviews with 118 violent inmates incarcerated in the United Kingdom, this study examines how they use the code of the street when describing specific violent events. The authors find that violent inmates portray themselves as respectable by situating their past violence within the prescripts of the code; however, the inmates’ narratives are not always consistent or drawn from singular formula stories. In fact, many participants offered various storylines and interpretations when describing violent events. We conclude that future theoretical development should aim to integrate perspectives focused on street codes, individual identity, and other acculturated factors and that understanding codes as narrative forms is essential.

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Research into the situational dynamics of street robbery in the United States has identified a commitment to street culture, and participation in the self-indulgent activities promoted by that culture, as primary etiological mechanisms operating in the phenomenological foreground of such offences. Little research, however, has been undertaken on the extent to which British street robberies evolve out of similar cultural dynamics. This paper, based on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 27 offenders serving sentences for robbery in England or Wales, explores the cultural values and pursuits that mediate their crimes. Our aim is to understand the socio-cultural context in which British street robbers contemplate and carry out their offences.