Violent Victimization among Youth in Iceland: The Role of Immigrant Background

• In Event: ISRD Panel 2: Violence and Victimization Across Various Contexts

Abstract

Migration, driven by diverse factors, has led to an unprecedented cultural diversity in many societies. Iceland, historically characterized by its small and homogeneous population, has experienced one of the steepest growths in immigrant population in the past two decades-a 250% increase-exceeding most other nations. This shift makes Iceland a uniquely valuable context for examining the experiences of young immigrants, especially given the scarcity of research in similar settings. This study examines factors influencing violent victimization among adolescents with immigrant backgrounds, a group navigating critical stages of development and social integration. We use data from the Icelandic International self-Report Study (ISRD4), a class-based sample of over 3,000 students aged 13 to 17. Our findings indicate that while immigrant youth are not at higher risk of violent victimization than their native peers, they face significantly greater odds of prejudice-motivated violence (hate crimes) than native youth. The results from our multi-level logistic models further revealed that the likelihood of hate crime victimization for immigrants varies by classroom composition: first-generation immigrants in classrooms with higher concentrations of immigrant peers are less likely to experience hate crime victimization compared to those in classrooms with fewer immigrant classmates.

Author

• Margrét Valdimarsdóttir, University of Iceland