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Adolescent Victimization Immigrant Paradox?: School-Based Routines, Lifestyles, and Victimization Across Immigration Generations

NCJ Number
244622
Journal
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 42 Issue: 11 Dated: November 2013 Pages: 1759-1773
Author(s)
Anthony A. Peguero
Date Published
November 2013
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This study explores whether and how the adolescent associations between routines, lifestyles, and adolescent school-based victimization vary across immigration generations.
Abstract
There is a growing body of research that suggests parallels between assimilation and increased adolescent violence, which is often referred to as the "immigrant paradox" in the United States. Few studies explore how theories, such as routine activity and lifestyle, could explain the relationship between assimilation and increased violence. This study explores whether and how the adolescent associations between routines, lifestyles, and adolescent school-based victimization vary across immigration generations. Data are drawn from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002, which is a nationally representative sample of tenth graders. This study focuses on a subsample consisting of 9,870 first (N = 1,170, 12 percent), second (N = 1,540, 16 percent), and third-plus (N = 1,117, 73 percent) generation public school students (N = 5,050; 51 percent female) in 580 public schools for this analysis of routine activity, lifestyle, and school-based victimization across immigration generations. Findings do indicate important nuances related to immigration in the conceptual links between routine activity, lifestyle, and adolescent victimization. For instance, engagement in school-based sport activities is a potential risk factor for first and second generation adolescents but is found to be a potential insulating factor against violent victimization for third-plus generation adolescents. The implications of the relationships between routines, lifestyles, and violence across immigration generations are discussed more generally. Abstract published by arrangement with Springer.