Youth Perspectives on the Intersections of Violence, Gender, and Hip-Hop

an article by Diana Hernández and Miguel Muñoz-Laboy (Columbia University, New York, USA) and Hannah Weinstein (Yeshiva University, New York, USA) published in Youth & Society Volume 44 Number 4 (December 2012)

Abstract

Youth’s perceptions of violence within their social environments can provide relevant insights into the gender-based interpersonal violence epidemic in inner-city communities.

To explore this issue, we examined two sets of narratives with young men and women, aged 15 to 21, involved in hip-hop culture in New York City.

In the analysis, we reveal youth accounts of street and interpersonal violence, examining the interconnections with gender and hip-hop culture. Our findings suggest that youth involved in hip-hop culture vary in the comprehensiveness of their definitions of violence and viewed violence as entertainment or as a way to gain or maintain respect.

Moreover, many respondents described episodes of interpersonal violence but failed to classify the behavior as violent, which suggests that dialogue with youth is needed to deconstruct diverse cultural understandings and more effectively address violence among youth. We recommend using hip-hop as a tool for reform in the process.

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