Hostile, Quick-Tempered, and Exposed to Dangerous Environments: Exploring the Link Between Temperament and the Street Code Adherence

Although Elijah Anderson’s code of the street thesis has received a great deal scholarly attention, fewer studies have examined characteristics associated with its adoption. Existing evidence is supportive initial observations, however, less known about association between personality and emotional adopting norms. The current study assesses role DeLisi Vaughn’s difficult temperament index in adoption among sample juvenile justice-involved youth. Results indicated youth more temperaments, characterized by lower levels effortful control higher negative emotionality, were likely to report greater adherence. Implications for justice policy future research are discussed.