"Respect is money, money is power and power is masculinity"

This is an excellent SF Gate article on the cycle of violence. It’s one of the best shorts descriptions I’ve read about why things are the way they are. Parts of it sound like something Tom Wolfe would write about manliness.

In this world, challenges cannot be left unanswered. A boy who is jumped, robbed or insulted and doesn't respond is labeled "soft," or a "punk" or a "bitch." He becomes prey. Once he is perceived as weak, the attacks keep coming. He loses not only his honor, but his friends and his personal safety, until he fights back and wins - sometimes via homicide.
…

"It fulfills that ego, gives you a sense of identity. Big dudes respect you. It's like being a star athlete - kids in constructive environments, their peers give them accolades and support to continue their good behavior by bolstering their ego. It's identical in the streets, only the behavior that is rewarded is different. It's like, 'Hey! I saw you in a stolen car!' and you get a high five."

Respect is money, money is power and power is masculinity. Violence defines you as a man.

"These kids have one thing in this world, and when you have nothing else, no money, no access, no privileges, no resources, no means, the only thing you have, from a little boy on, is your respect," investigator Gandy said.