--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was growing up, kids used to talk…" description: "\"When I was growing up, kids used to talk about snitching. It never extended as a cultural norm outside of the gangsters,\" — Geoffrey Canada" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95f/geoffrey-canada-11965_gangsters_when-i-was-growing-up-kids-used-to-talk_2783538.png" --- # When I was growing up, kids used to talk about snitching… ![“When I was growing up, kids used to talk about snitching. It never extended as a cultural norm outside of the gangsters,” quote by Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95f/geoffrey-canada-11965_gangsters_when-i-was-growing-up-kids-used-to-talk_2783538.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95f/geoffrey-canada-11965_gangsters_when-i-was-growing-up-kids-used-to-talk_2783538.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95f/geoffrey-canada-11965_gangsters_when-i-was-growing-up-kids-used-to-talk_2783538.png) > “When I was growing up, kids used to talk about snitching. It never extended as a cultural norm outside of the gangsters,” [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Notes that snitching is a gang‑specific norm not adopted broadly in society. **In simple terms:** Snitching stays within gang culture. Key Takeaway Promote community trust to reduce reliance on informants. Themes education gang culture trust social norms Mood thoughtful concerned Type social policy When to use this quote - school programs - peer mentorship - community policing - public awareness campaigns Key Concepts sociology community building Questions to Reflect On - Why is snitching stigmatized? - How can societies encourage safe reporting? A Different Perspective Stigma may prevent reporting of crimes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Gangsters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gangsters/) [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) ## Related quotes > [“One guy stepped forward and I said, “What’s your problem, man?” He said, “We don’t allow snitches on this tier,” and I said, “Man,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlin-marynick/one-guy-stepped-forward-and-i-said-what-s-your-problem-man-he-said-we/) [Marlin Marynick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlin-marynick/) > [I might tell a story about somebody else, but I don't sit there and do a story about somebody snitching on me selling coke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chamillionaire/i-might-tell-a-story-about-somebody-else-but-i-don-t-sit-there-and-do/) [Chamillionaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chamillionaire/) > [I can't be snitching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-young/i-can-t-be-snitching/) [Nick Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-young/) > [Snitching to the fans, yeah I think he got some pork in him. When it comes to that, I'm a Muslim...I don't talk to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/360/snitching-to-the-fans-yeah-i-think-he-got-some-pork-in-him-when-it/) 360 > [I was bad, but I was one of the kids that never got caught. If anyone ever knew I did something, it was because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-bregoli/i-was-bad-but-i-was-one-of-the-kids-that-never-got-caught-if-anyone/) [Danielle Bregoli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-bregoli/) > [Everbody you say is your Dawg,is not your Dawg ,not if they snitching on you behind your back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frenchqueen/everbody-you-say-is-your-dawg-is-not-your-dawg-not-if-they-snitching/) Frenchqueen > [“If I was going to sit in a cell, it would be because of some shit I was actually caught doing, not because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrice-balark/if-i-was-going-to-sit-in-a-cell-it-would-be-because-of-some-shit-i/) Patrice Balark > [Niggas snitching switching teams. Out there telling bitches things. Industry talk behind your back. Ain't nobody got time for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z-2/niggas-snitching-switching-teams-out-there-telling-bitches-things/) [Jay Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z-2/) > [I'm no snitch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-barnett/i-m-no-snitch/) [Josh Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-barnett/) > [When Goldie Hawn wrote her memoirs, no one said Goldie Hawn was snitching. When Jane Fonda wrote her memoirs, no one said Jane Fonda…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karrine-steffans/when-goldie-hawn-wrote-her-memoirs-no-one-said-goldie-hawn-was/) [Karrine Steffans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karrine-steffans/) > [And the homie you really thought was the realest a snitch, I'm the person you call when you tryin to get out a ditch,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chamillionaire/and-the-homie-you-really-thought-was-the-realest-a-snitch-i-m-the/) [Chamillionaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chamillionaire/) > [It's Funny How Someone wants YOU TO ALWAYS HAVE THEIR BACK BUT quick TO Snitch When They suppose TO HAVE YOUR BACK!! Backstabber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keepnithunit/it-s-funny-how-someone-wants-you-to-always-have-their-back-but-quick/) [Keepnithunit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keepnithunit/) > [“The family had become in effect an extension of the Thought Police. It was a device by means of which everyone could be surrounded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-family-had-become-in-effect-an-extension-of-the-thought-police-it/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“Hufflepuff is a pushover. Last time we played them, Harry caught the Snitch in about five minutes,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/hufflepuff-is-a-pushover-last-time-we-played-them-harry-caught-the/) [J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) > [75%-90% of the murders that occur in black and Latino communities are solvable. Everybody knows who did it or somebody knows. The reason nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheo-hodari-coker/75-90-of-the-murders-that-occur-in-black-and-latino-communities-are/) [Cheo Hodari Coker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheo-hodari-coker/) ## More by Geoffrey Canada > [I want my kids to graduate from high school. But that's not enough. I also want them to go to college. Why? Because rich…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/i-want-my-kids-to-graduate-from-high-school-but-that-s-not-enough-i/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) > [Many schools today are sacrificing social studies, the arts and physical education so children can cover basic subjects like math, English and science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/many-schools-today-are-sacrificing-social-studies-the-arts-and/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) > [If you raise a child, there's no time, you can't be a great parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/if-you-raise-a-child-there-s-no-time-you-can-t-be-a-great-parent/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) > [Teachers need to be paid like professionals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/teachers-need-to-be-paid-like-professionals/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) > [Let's stop teaching to the middle and start teaching to the student.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/let-s-stop-teaching-to-the-middle-and-start-teaching-to-the-student/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) > [Video games offer violent messages, and even the sports video games include taunting and teasing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/video-games-offer-violent-messages-and-even-the-sports-video-games/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) > [There's not a day that goes by that I don't draw on my undergraduate background in psychology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/there-s-not-a-day-that-goes-by-that-i-don-t-draw-on-my-undergraduate/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) > [Convincing people to give your way a try will work if you neutralize - and sometimes you have to cauterize - the ones who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/convincing-people-to-give-your-way-a-try-will-work-if-you-neutralize/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) > [When kids know that you refuse to let them fail ... they don't give up as easy. So sometimes they don't have it inside,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/when-kids-know-that-you-refuse-to-let-them-fail-they-don-t-give-up-as/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) > [Kids who are poor often have families that have not really been kept informed about... how important it is to read to your child,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/kids-who-are-poor-often-have-families-that-have-not-really-been-kept/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) > [Monsters work seven days a week and don't take vacations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/monsters-work-seven-days-a-week-and-don-t-take-vacations/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) > [I believe that for lots of churches and religious institutions, their main focus on the development of faith among parishioners needs to spread to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/i-believe-that-for-lots-of-churches-and-religious-institutions-their/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) > [How is it we could have a system where schools could remain lousy for 50 years and yet you do exactly the same thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/how-is-it-we-could-have-a-system-where-schools-could-remain-lousy-for/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) > [When I began working in not-for-profits, it was taking a vow of poverty, which eliminated huge numbers of folks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/when-i-began-working-in-not-for-profits-it-was-taking-a-vow-of/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) > [You grow up in America and you're told from day one, 'This is the land of opportunity.' That everybody has an equal chance to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/you-grow-up-in-america-and-you-re-told-from-day-one-this-is-the-land/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) [Explore all 57 Geoffrey Canada quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) ## More Gangsters quotes > [You know, I often thought that the gangster and the artist are the same in the eyes of the masses. They're admired and hero-worshipped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-kubrick/you-know-i-often-thought-that-the-gangster-and-the-artist-are-the/) [Stanley Kubrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-kubrick/) > [What Wall Street and credit card companies are doing is really not much different from what gangsters and loan sharks do who make predatory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/what-wall-street-and-credit-card-companies-are-doing-is-really-not/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [Virginia Woolf was one example. She was called the "Lover of 100 Gangsters."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-leone/virginia-woolf-was-one-example-she-was-called-the-lover-of-100/) [Sergio Leone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-leone/) > [I am the epitome of the underdog. By societies standards I should have been dead a long time ago, and I was nobody's gangster,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-k-williams/i-am-the-epitome-of-the-underdog-by-societies-standards-i-should-have/) [Michael K. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-k-williams/) > [God knows America would be the greatest again if she operated like the Nugent family. No takers, no whiners, no gangsters, no dopers, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nugent/god-knows-america-would-be-the-greatest-again-if-she-operated-like/) [Ted Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nugent/) > [Visually I've always liked the 20s 30s for film. I do these because I like the music. I like the clothes. I like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/visually-i-ve-always-liked-the-20s-30s-for-film-i-do-these-because-i/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [I so wreak of logic and commonsense that it is obviously very refreshing in this world of otherwise soulless politically correct denial and dishonesty.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nugent/i-so-wreak-of-logic-and-commonsense-that-it-is-obviously-very/) [Ted Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nugent/) > [The FBI was formed because the gangsters were better armed, better financed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-horse/the-fbi-was-formed-because-the-gangsters-were-better-armed-better/) [Michael Horse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-horse/) > [Especially in gangster films, with the gangster's moll - she would always be more or less of an object. And I'm not convinced of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-leone/especially-in-gangster-films-with-the-gangster-s-moll-she-would/) [Sergio Leone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-leone/) > [I always think that politicians are worse than the baddest gangsters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finn-cole/i-always-think-that-politicians-are-worse-than-the-baddest-gangsters/) [Finn Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finn-cole/) > [First you get the sugar, then you get the power, then you get the women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-groening/first-you-get-the-sugar-then-you-get-the-power-then-you-get-the-women/) [Matt Groening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-groening/) > ['The Godfather' changed the way gangsters acted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-vincent/the-godfather-changed-the-way-gangsters-acted/) [Frank Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-vincent/) > [I think I could totally be a gangster, but I could never be the kind of gangster that carries things out myself. I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-satine/i-think-i-could-totally-be-a-gangster-but-i-could-never-be-the-kind/) [Elena Satine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-satine/) > [Yeah, well, artists are a lot like gangsters. They both know that the official version, the one everyone else believes, is a lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocko-henderson/yeah-well-artists-are-a-lot-like-gangsters-they-both-know-that-the/) Jocko Henderson > [My general theory since 1971 has been that the word is literally a virus, and that it has not been recognized as such because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/my-general-theory-since-1971-has-been-that-the-word-is-literally-a/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) [Browse all 270 Gangsters quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gangsters/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I was growing up, kids used to talk about snitching. 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