School Climate and Violence: Does Immigrant Status Matter?

• In Event: Special Issue for Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice “The Significance of Immigration for Youth and their Experiences with Violence and Juvenile Justice”

Abstract

A growing research literature shows that school context is an important predictor of student behavior, above and beyond individual and family characteristics. Limited attention, however, has been given to potential contingencies in this relationship. The aim of this research is to extend previous school-based studies by examining whether and to what extent school context is differentially predictive of violent delinquency for immigrant and non-immigrant youth. We utilize two waves of data collected from two multi-city program evaluations, Teens, Crime, and the Community/Community Works (TCC/CW) and the Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) program, to assess the impact of four measures of school climate on violent delinquency. Analyses show that two measures of school climate—delinquent culture and school commitment—are stronger predictors of violent delinquency for immigrant youth, net of individual characteristics. Surprisingly though, immigrant youth matriculating in schools characterized by higher levels of delinquent culture report less violence, while immigrants in schools characterized by greater student commitment to school report more violence. These results highlight important contingencies in the relationship between immigrant status and violence and suggest that school characteristics may operate differently for native-born and immigrant youth.

Authors

• Stephanie M. DiPietro, University of Missouri - St. Louis

• Lee Ann Slocum, University of Missouri - St. Louis

• Finn-Aage Esbensen, University of Missouri - St. Louis