"Hardcore"

I really enjoyed reading On being "hardcore" ..., especially because it gave me a new insight into a world that I frankly do not know much about. The idea of hardcore at a suburb school greatly differs from the inner-city world. The main difference in the suburbs is that students are not under the same amount of pressure to act tough in order to survive. Of course there are situations where students in the suburbs do have to put on a tough face, for example when they become a victim of bullying, but it is not generally the same as the real danger that students face in urban areas. That's why white flight to the suburbs happened, to get the younger generation off of the crowded and often dangerous streets of the city. Unfortunately, not every child can escape this reality. Children in the city not only need to figure out how to succeed in school, but those in tough neighborhoods also have to prove themselves to their peers (is if the pressures of school aren't enough!).

While reading this article I was struck by the "fictions" that Dance presented about urban teens. The way "hardcore" teens are presented in the media is as if they have no remorse for their actions. This simply is not the case at all. Dance (2002) makes it clear that real-life hardcore adolescents not only feel regret and guilt, but they're also scared. To be fair, they did not choose where they grew up and they cannot control what is going on around them. The violence shown by hardcore teens in the media appears to be commit by soulless monsters. It is true that the hardcore teens may participate in acts in violence, but there are reason for it. I'm not saying there are good reasons, and I'm not saying that anyone has an excuse for committing a crime, but it is important to look at the situation from every angle. A child who grows up around violence is more likely to be violent themselves. Also, it is really troubling and unfortunate when a teenager who is "hard-enough" commits acts of violence not because they want to, but because they have to. What these children need is a safe environment, role-models, and the opportunity to go about their day without having to worrying about if they're perceived as "hard" just to get by.

Reference

Dance, L.J. (2002). On being "hardcore," "a hardcore wannabe," or "hard enough." In Tough Fronts: The impact of street culture on schooling.  New York: RoutledgeFalmer, 51 - 70.