Research indicates that children of immigrants are less likely to engage in violence than children of native-born parents, even when they live in high-risk neighborhoods, suggesting that foreign-born parents employ strategies that buffer children from delinquency. Parental supervision is important for adolescent well-being, and some scholars suggest it is especially important for adolescents residing in disadvantaged communities. Others argue supervision is more critical for youth residing in advantaged contexts, where parental involvement is normative. To date, evidence on the interplay between supervision and neighborhood characteristics is mixed, suggesting a more complex relationship. The current study found that less supervised, first-generation immigrant adolescents were more likely to perpetrate violence in low-risk neighborhoods, while less supervised, second- and third-generation adolescents were more likely to perpetrate violence in high-risk settings. (Publisher abstract modified)
Neighborhood Structure, Immigrant Status, and Youth Violence: Assessing the Role of Parental Supervision
NCJ Number
249642
Journal
Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice Volume: 13 Issue: 4 Dated: October 2015 Pages: 367-390
Date Published
October 2015
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This study considers whether immigrant status conditions the interplay between parental supervision and neighborhood characteristics, using data from a sample of adolescents residing in Chicago neighborhoods.
Abstract