The Immigrant Paradox: Analyzing The Social Control Effects on Immigrant Youth’s Self-Reported Offenses

• In Event: Criminology of Mobility. Panel 4. Ethnicity, youth and crime.

Abstract

Recent immigration studies, contrary to the claims of some politicians, have produced little evidence to support the notion that immigration and crime are correlated, neither in aggregate- nor in individual-level studies. In fact, the latest studies have indicated that immigration, especially for the foreign-born generation, suppresses violent crime in disadvantaged areas (Lee & Martinez, 2009). The strong social bonds that typify the immigrant communities may contribute to the suppression of crime (Lee & Martinez, 2009; Zhou, 1997). However, few studies have examined whether social control might be the key to explaining the generational differences in crime and delinquency rates among immigrant populations. The current study employs data from the Pathways to Desistance Study, examining the interaction between the level of social control and immigration generation with respect to effects on self-reported offenses. We found that school-based social bonds vary between generations and produce a major effect on self-reported offending. Our results indicate that as social control level increases, self-reported offenses decrease, particularly in the first-generation immigration group. Future research directions and policy implications are directly addressed.

Authors

• Meng-Ru Shih, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

• Nicholas P. Lovrich, Washington State University