Perceptions of school rules and punishment practices, particularly for racial and ethnic minority youth, are related to educational progress, psychological well-being, and adult stability and success. What remains uncertain is how the fastest growing segment of the population in the USA, the children of immigrants, perceives the rules and punishment practices within their schools. This study utilizes data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 and incorporates multilevel analysis to examine the children of immigrants' perceptions of the school rules and punishment practices, which indeed reveal imperative findings. First generation youth have increased perceptions of just and fair punishment practices within their schools; however, Black/African American and Latino American third-plus generation youth have diminished perceptions of just and fair punishment practices within their schools. The implications of the evident racial and ethnic, as well as generational, disparities in the perceptions of the school rules and punishment practices in the USA are discussed more generally.
AbstractBullying within United States (US) schools is a growing concern among parents, school officials and policymakers. In early 2011, the first‐ever White House Conference on Bullying Prevention was held in hope of addressing bullying within US schools. Although the social, political, and media attention is increasing, it is important to consider the complexities and disparities associated with school bullying. In this article, four of the wide array of influences that increase the vulnerabilities of youth to be a victim of bullying at school are reviewed: (i) race and ethnicity, (ii) being and immigrant, (iii) gender, and; (iv) sexual orientation. Understanding and acknowledging the inequalities associated with school bullying, as well as the policies implemented in response, is instrumental for the US' efforts towards providing safe, healthy, and democratic learning environments.
The children of immigrants' educational progress and success have been the focus of social research for decades. Although it is known that extracurricular activities contribute to adolescent development and overall well-being, it is also clear that participation varies across immigrant generations. Yet, empirical study explaining generational differences in extracurricular activities across different racial/ethnic groups is limited. This study uses data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) to investigate if family characteristics (i.e., socioeconomic status, structure, parental supervision, and parent–child communication and interaction) explain generational extracurricular activity participation for four racial/ethnic groups (Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians). Findings indicate that family characteristics indeed mediate the children of immigrants' participation in school extracurricular activities. Moreover, results also denote that family characteristics are particularly relevant for Hispanic children of immigrants' extracurricular activity participation.
Recent research has demonstrated an "immigrant paradox": a parallel between assimilation and increased engagement in adolescent delinquency. Although evidence has suggested that social control and differential association contribute to the criminological understanding of the immigrant paradox, not many studies have simultaneously incorporated measures of social control and differential association to explore delinquency across immigrant generations. Based on a sample of nationally representative adolescents ( N = 13,121) from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), this study investigates whether and how social control (i.e., family control and school control) and differential association (i.e., delinquent friends association) explain the relationship between immigrant generation and delinquency. Results indicate that delinquent friendships play a more important role and account for much of the difference in delinquency across generations. Moreover, within each generation, delinquent friendships have a more consistent effect on delinquency. However, family control and school control are stronger predictors of delinquency for the third-plus generation than for earlier generations.
"Immigration and School Safety utilizes a multidisciplinary approach to expose the complex relationship between immigration and school safety in the United States. It addresses not only individual, intrapersonal, and environmental factors, but also distant-level conditions that are relevant to the experiences of immigrant children and connected to school safety. Twenty-five percent of all youths in U.S. schools have at least one immigrant parent, and that percentage is expected to increase to 33 percent by 2040. A wide array of factors, including but not limited to laws, public and political discourses, educational policies, interpersonal relationships, socioeconomic status, English-language proficiency, citizenship, legal status, family characteristics, race and ethnicity, generational status, nationality, religion, and gender, contribute to the marginalizing experiences of children of immigrants at school. With the rapid growth of students in immigrant families in U.S. schools, any effort to address school violence and implement school safety policies must consider barriers associated with the unique educational experiences of that segment. This book highlights the often overlooked importance of immigration as a mediating factor in explaining both violence and victimization, and provides a blueprint for integrating immigration and criminology theories into evidence-based efforts toward ensuring safety for all students. The authors demonstrate that immigration matters significantly in school violence and safety concerns, and illustrate why research that integrates immigration with criminology theories is needed to understand the causes and correlates of school violence. The book will appeal to a wide array of individuals, including academics, educators, policymakers, practitioners, social workers, parents, and stakeholders who are committed to addressing educational disparities and inequities associated with immigration and school safety"--
"The perception of the immigrant as criminal or deviant has a long history in the United States, with many groups (e.g., Irish, Italians, Latinos) having been associated with perceived increases in crime and other social problems, although data suggest this is not necessarily the case. This Handbook examines the relationship between immigration and crime by presenting chapters reflecting key issues from both historical and current perspectives. The volume includes a range of topics related to immigration and crime, such as the links between immigration rates and crime rates, nativity and crime, and the social construction of the criminal immigrant, as well as historical and current immigration policy vis-áa-vis perceptions of the criminal immigrant. Other topics covered in this volume include theoretical perspectives on immigration and assimilation, sanctuary cities, and immigration in the context of the "war on terror." The Routledge Handbook on Immigration and Crime fills the gap in the literature by offering a volume that includes original empirical work as well as review essays that deliver a complete overview of immigration and crime relying on both historical and contemporary perspectives. It is a key collection for students in immigration courses; scholars and researchers in diverse disciplines including criminal justice, criminology, sociology, demography, law, psychology, and urban studies; and policy makers dealing with immigration and border security concerns."--Provided by publisher