The Hidden Matrix: Perspectives of Youth and Their Parents on Immigration and Youth Delinquent Behavior

Abstract

Immigrant youth delinquency may be associated with developmental, familial, social, and immigration-specific factors; however, scarce studies have examined the perspectives of both parents and their children as to the reasons for involvement in delinquent behavior. This study examines the extent to which immigration-related stressors may be associated with delinquent behavior of immigrant adolescents from the Former Soviet Union in Israel, from the perspectives of both young people and their parents. In-depth interviews with 10 male delinquent immigrant mid-late adolescents, aged 16 to 21 years, and their parents (eight mothers and two fathers) were conducted (N = 20). Phenomenological analysis highlighted the immigration experience as a hidden matrix within which dynamics associated with delinquency evolved. These dynamics involved situational factors (age, financial hardships, and social norms related to child-rearing), social factors (peer pressure and wish to be socially accepted), familial factors (stress experienced by the family, parental unavailability, and insufficient parental capabilities), and personality factors (sensation-seeking, desire for self-direction, emotion dysregulation, weak character, and inborn inclination to problematic behavior). While few participants directly address the immigration process, it can be considered the backdrop or matrix within which these factors are evolving. Implications for prevention on personal, familial, and society levels are discussed.