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On Crime Theory & the Life of L.A. Gang Member Sanyika Shakur
Celeste A. Manughian-Peter
SOC 342
California State University, Long Beach

On Crime Theory & the Life of L.A. Gang Member Sanyika Shakur
Loyalty, family, stability, poverty. These four pieces of Sanyika Shakurs
life shape who he is for better and for worse. Shakurs novel, Monster: The
Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member, is a landmark story, providing
students and criminologists alike with a deep insight into the sociological and
psychological aspects of gang behavior. Shakurs criminal behavior
throughout his life can be clarified through the application of four specific
crime theories. Shakur places great importance on loyalty, which
neutralization theory explains can be used to justify deviant behavior. A
broken home can lead to increased amounts of delinquent behavior, as
suggested by family structure theory. The effect of growing up in gang-ridden
environment on Shakurs criminal activity is made evident through
concentric zone theory. Lastly, increased strain from issues such as physical
abuse inside the family and economic hardship can be shown to have a
correlation to Shakurs involvement in illegal conduct.
Sankyika Shakur, born as Kody Dehjon Scott, continually commits
crimes justifying his means of criminal actions with the ends of his
membership in one of Los Angeles most formidable street gangs: The Crips.
Shakur was initiated into the Crips in just sixth grade by stealing a blue
mustang and shooting numerous members of the rival gang- the Bloods. As a
young boy living in a poverty-stricken, gang-infested South Central Los
Angeles, criminal behavior is somewhat expected in this type of atmosphere.
Neutralization theory suggests that delinquents may become committed to
dominant norms but may rationalize their deviance from those norms by

On Crime Theory & the Life of L.A. Gang Member Sanyika Shakur
appealing to a greater power, such as Shakurs loyalty to the Crips (Reid,
2009, p. 110). Shakurs criminal behavior starts at a young age, his crimes
ranging from murder to robbery to drug possession. Although members of
society would imagine a school boys priorities to be quite different, Shakurs
top priorities are his loyalty to and expectations of the Crips. This is made
evident when, after being driven home by elementary school principal, Mr.
Smotherman, for throwing gang signs in his class photo, the eleven year-old
Shakur mentions he was eager to get home to the hood and to meet [his]
moral obligation (Scott, 1993, p. 4). This reference to his gang as a moral
obligation makes it apparent that Shakurs priorities favor gang life: Shakur
feels so strongly about his duties to the Crips that they form the basis of his
personal code of conduct. Not only are his gang obligations the root of his
behavior, but he goes so far to refer to them as moral, implying he
believes them to be the ethically proper way of life. These opinions allow
Shakur to excuse his unlawful behavior for the purpose of doing good for the
Crips. Furthermore, five years later, after almost being shot to death, Shakur
reflects on the past years and says the [gang] functioned as a religion
(Scott, 1933, p. 103), conveying that he views the gang as a higher power
whose demands take precedence over those of society. The gang and
Shakur have established a subculture with norms that differ from those of
the larger society (Reid, 2009, p. 111), which includes the acceptance of
crime as commonplace. However, Shakur appeals to a higher loyalty (the
Crips) to justify this deviant behavior, as explained by neutralization theory.

On Crime Theory & the Life of L.A. Gang Member Sanyika Shakur
Another aspect of Shakurs life that can be explained with crime theory
is his family structure. There is no doubt that variables in his broken home
played into his criminal behavior as a teen. Shakur mentions, My father and
I never got along and I couldnt understand why he mistreated me (Scott,
1993, p.4), giving a small glimpse into the distant relationship between he
and his father. Later in his book, it is made clear that he was a witness to
domestic violence between [his] parents, (Scott, 1993, p. 103) routine
beatings from his father, and exclusion from family activities and trips.
According to research by J. David Hawkins, all of these factors high levels of
parental discord, poor family management, less involvement in family life,
and physical abuse make Shakur more likely to associate with violent gang
members and become violent himself (Reid, 2009, p. 116); this explains a
spread of Shakurs violent crimes, such as beating a victim of a robbery he
committed until he was disfigured.
Another aspect of Shakurs upbringing in South Central L.A. that can be
examined to find a relationship with his criminal behavior is strainspecifically strain from negative stimuli such as an abusive family and
economic poverty. Shakur grew up in a poverty-stricken area, an area of
economic destitution, as well as unstable living conditions: Everything in
my life has been subject to drastic changewithout so much as a hint or
forewarning (Scott, 1993, p. 103) - prime conditions for criminal activity.
According to Robert Agnew, this strain on Shakur may lead to the
development of negative emotions and reduce the ability to cope in a legal

On Crime Theory & the Life of L.A. Gang Member Sanyika Shakur
manner (Reid, 2009, 106). It is evident that a somewhat of a breakdown of
living standards and family values causes Shakur unable to achieve his goal
of coping and pushes him in the direction of the criminal activities with the
Crips.
Lastly, the impact of environment on crime is made evident in the
transformation of Sanyika Shakur from the brutal, senselessly violent
monster to a more rational, calm Repulic of New Afrika member. Concentric
circle theory relates a citys crime rate and characteristics to a specific zone
within a city- ranging from poverty and high density occupancy areas to
quiet, wealthy neighborhoods. South Central Los Angeles is somewhere
between zone 2, the zone of transition and zone 3, zone of working class
homes (Reid, 2009, p. 99) because populated by primarily low-income
residents, marked by poverty, and mistrust of police. According to the
concentric circle theory, this zone is the one which rates of crime and
delinquency remained highest (Reid, 2009, p.100), thus it is easier for
Shakur to become involved in it. Born into a dangerous crime-heavy
transition area and trapped by a life of poverty, this theory provides an
explanation for Shakurs entanglement in criminal activities. Once his
environment shifts from the streets of Los Angeles to prison, Shakur gets
involved in the Muslim church and reshapes his life goals for his daughter
and wife: My motivation was grounded in being an upright father to my
children, a proper husband to Tamu and a revolutionary symbol for my
people (Scott, 1993, p. 372). This change of environment plays an essential

On Crime Theory & the Life of L.A. Gang Member Sanyika Shakur
role in stabilizing Shakurs life and allowing him to live free of gang activities,
though he still finds himself getting support from the same gang-related
people. Clearly, Shakurs environment, from the violent streets to the prison,
was influential in his rise to a Monster and leader in gang activity and
transition to a peaceful ex-banger.
Ultimately, the examination of neutralization theory, family structure
theory, concentric zone theory, and strain theory and the application of
these crime theories to Shakurs life style and choices give us a greater
depth of understanding of how and why Shakurs violent criminal behavior
played out the way it did.