Is Violence and Disorder Disrupting the Children of Immigrants’ Educational Progress?: School Victimization, Misconduct, Disorder, and the Dropping-Out Immigrant Paradox

• In Event: NIJ’s W.E.B. Du Bois Fellowship Program: Research on the Migration of Albanian Organized Crime and the Impact of Violence and Disorder on the Children of Immigrants’ Educational Progress.

Abstract

Violence and disorder can profoundly derail the overall well-being and development of all adolescents. Moreover, violence and victimization that occurs within a school context is particularly alarming because a successful educational process is essential to establishing socioeconomic success later in life. The educational consequence of school victimization, misconduct, and disorder is uncertain for the fastest growing segment of the population – the children of immigrants. This research is particularly imperative considering the growing body of research evidence indicating a parallel between assimilation, increased violence, and decreased educational success, which is often referred to as the ‘‘immigrant paradox’’ in the United States. This study uses data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 and incorporates multilevel modeling techniques to examine the impact of victimization, misconduct, and disorder at school on dropping out. The implications of violence and disorder in relationship to the dropping-out immigrant paradox are discussed. Finally, because this research was supported by the National Institute of Justice (N.I.J.) W.E.B. Du Bois Fellowship (Grant# 2012-IJ-CX-0003), a discussion about fellowship experiences will be facilitated.

Author

• Anthony Peguero, Virginia Tech