Homeless Violence and the Informal Rules of Street Life

Successful adaptation to street life requires that risk of violence, an often present aspect of this lifestyle, be reduced to as Iowa level as possible. This means knowing the infonnal rules which permit avoiding the pitfalls of street life. It is argued in this paper that safety and security are a function of interactions occurring within a specific place, with pal1icular associates, and involving safe and unsafe behavior. Carelessness with respect to any of these factors can result in victimization. These issues are discussed using SUlVey and ethnographic data collected in Chattanooga.