Peer Group and Neighborhood Violence Among the Youth: A Case Study of Slum Areas in Islamabad (Pakistan)

Abstract

Peer groups play an important role in youth behavioral outcomes. Pro-social and anti-social behaviors are determined mainly by the company of peers. The current study aims to find out the part of peer groups in violent tendencies among youth in a risky urban neighborhood of Islamabad. This qualitative study has opted for the "code of the street" theory approach and conducted data from slum areas of Islamabad. Overall data suggests that respondents face aggression and violence in their younger years, from 15 to 20 years. The nature of violence is common, like harassment in the street or slapping a punch at an opponent if he disobeys. Then, the victim tries to take revenge and make a group, along with their peer group, commit a crime because no one stops them at this age. Due to a lack of resources, they have no formal education, skills, or well paid jobs. So, they choose to work low-paid jobs in the city and experience negative feelings from upper-class people towards them. They spend most of their time in the street with their peers, participate in playing cards for bets, experience aggression and reactions from opponents, and also use drugs because gang members do it all proudly. They consider themselves alienated from the rest of society.