NCJ Number
225841
Journal
New Directions for Youth Development Issue: 119 Dated: Fall 2008 Pages: 151-168
Date Published
2008
Length
18 pages
Annotation
Analyses were conducted to determine whether disintegration explained a higher propensity for violence among non-German adolescents.
Abstract
Based on the theoretical approaches, it was concluded that ethnic differences in violent behavior did not result solely from objective deprivation experience; only the type of school attended turned out to be a factor, which related to higher rates of violent behavior of non-German adolescents. The results point to cultural explanations. These may include both parenting styles and certain ideas on masculinity as products of a specific cultural environment. It is recommended that future research pay more attention to conditions supporting the formation of these specific violent cultures. The ethnic diversity of children and youth in Germany today results from different migration waves that have taken place in Germany since its foundation in 1949. This article focuses on the specific migration of Turkish and Russian adolescents. The causes of violent behavior have long been a topic of research. Statistics show that non-Germans display criminal behavior to a greater extent than native Germans do. The idea that migrants should show a higher willingness to commit criminal offenses was substantiated by at least three theoretical approaches. In considering the German situation, the question arises as to whether disintegration can explain violence among young migrants. The disintegration approach is based on the assumption that the objective of human action is to obtain acceptance and social appreciation. This article presents results of descriptive analyses and conducted a multivariate analysis to explain a higher propensity for violence among non-German adolescents. 4 tables, 1 figure, and 21 notes