'Trap Life': The psychosocial underpinnings of street crime in inner-city London.

This article examines urban men's involvement in the illicit drug economy through the concept of "trap life," a term used by disadvantaged men to describe their entrapment in socio-economic deprivation and psychological trauma. Drawing on ethnographic research with marginalized men in a London housing estate, it identifies three distinct "trapper" identities—Glutton, Predatory, and Humble—each shaped by varying degrees of childhood trauma, economic need, and social vulnerability, which influence their engagement in criminality and violence. The study argues that prevailing criminological narratives often stigmatize these men without acknowledging the complex psychosocial factors underpinning their lives, such as trauma, limited opportunities, and existential crisis. It advocates for integrating psychosocial perspectives to better understand and address the interplay between structural disadvantage and individual psychology, suggesting trauma-informed interventions alongside structural reforms to support those seeking to exit trap life.