Violent victimization among youth in Iceland: The role of immigrant background

• In Event: Violence and Victimization: Cross-Cultural Perspectives and Case Studies

Abstract

Migration, driven by various factors like economic opportunities, conflict, and globalization, has led to an unprecedented level of cultural diversity in many societies. Over the past two decades, Iceland has experienced a 250% increase in its foreign-born population, making immigration studies increasingly important. It is particularly important to examine the multifaceted realms of adolescents with an immigrant background, who are in a formative stage of development and social integration. The study uses a large randomly selected sample of 13 to 17-year-old students living in the greater capital area in Iceland to examine the effects of multiple factors on violent victimization among immigrant youth (ISRD4). The results indicate that while immigrant youth do not face higher odds of physical violence than native youth, both first- and second-generation immigrants are more likely to experience prejudice-motivated violence (hate crimes) than native youth. The study also found a noteworthy interaction: the impact of being a first- or second-generation immigrant on hate crime victimization varies based on the proportion of non-native students in the classroom. For instance, first-generation immigrants in classes with more fellow immigrants have a lower likelihood of hate crime victimization compared to those with fewer immigrant classmates. The lecture will discuss these findings from the perspective of criminological theory, future research needs, and policy implications.

Author

• Margrét Valdimarsdóttir, University of Iceland