Immigration as a trigger to knife off from delinquency? Desistance and persistence among male adolescents from the Former Soviet Union in Germany

Abstract

Recent work on desistance from delinquency increasingly considers knifing off — an explicit change of one’s social environment and opportunity structure — but has largely ignored immigration as a cause of knifing off. Interviews with 26 migrants from the Former Soviet Union who were involved in delinquency prior to emigration to Germany show that differences between desisters and persisters with respect to delinquency, agency and the social and structural situation arise just after arrival. Desisters can progress quickly when their agency and motivation are acknowledged in society and when receiving support from new friends and society. Persistence appears to be fostered by quick and repeated negative experiences, and reinforced by making friends who share similar problems rather than providing support in the process of integration.

Social Capital as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Perceived Discrimination and Alcohol and Cannabis Use Among Immigrant and Non-immigrant Adolescents in Israel

“…Immigrant adolescents often search for a peer group where they can feel a sense of strength and belonging ( McNeely and Falci, 2004 ; Newman et al, 2007 ). Immigrant adolescents have also been found to find it hard to develop positive relations with agents of institutions ( Zdun, 2011 ) such as teachers.…”

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

“…However, we would like to suggest that while it was not specifically “seen,” the immigration experience was the matrix or the backdrop within which we can make sense of most of the other factors reported. Despite the young people immigrating, at large, at a very early age, the difficulties of immigration are prolific and notable in the narratives: the difficulties the young people had in fitting in, the sense of alienation and feeling different (Walsh, Sagis-Krebs, & Gross, 2018), and the search for a peer group where they would feel a sense of strength and belonging (McNeely & Falci, 2004; Newman, Lohman, & Newman, 2007); the reactions to name calling and discrimination (Jasinskaja, Lahti, Liebkind, & Perhoniemi, 2006), which led to expressions of violence and fighting back; the multiple financial, occupational, and familial stressors that the parents discussed (Cano et al, 2015; Conger et al, 2010), which prevented them from being involved in the children’s lives (Leventhal & Brooks-Gunn, 2000; Pantin et al, 2003) with children turning to their peers for support (Zdun, 2011). The participants, especially the parents, also mentioned the cultural differences, such as in styles of discipline (Shor, 2000, 2005), resulting in parent–child conflict in which the acculturation gap led parents to find it difficult to fulfill roles of supervision and monitoring (Kane et al, 2016).…”

“…They also emphasize the role of the social group—being part of a group which awarded a higher social status, a sense of power and belonging (Newman et al, 2007), and the impact it had on them to feel like they did not belong and were outside. Finally, they describe themselves as turning to friends as a result of feeling a lack of availability of their parents (Zdun, 2011).…”

“…Widening acculturation gaps between parents and adolescents can lead to adolescents acting as language or cultural brokers (Buriel, Perez, de Ment, Chavez, & Moran, 1998; Valdes, Chavez, & Angelelli, 2003) and experiencing an emotional burden of parental role taking (Kam & Lazarevic, 2014). As such, immigration may impair parents’ ability to monitor adolescents’ behavior (Lorenzo-Blanco et al, 2016; Pantin et al, 2003) and to provide support and communication (Schwartz et al, 2012; Zdun, 2011). Parent–child acculturation discrepancy can lead to adolescents perceiving their parents as having less knowledge and turning to deviant peers (Y.…”

Group Violence and Migration Experience among Latin American Youths in Justice Enforcement Centers (Madrid, Spain)

“…Mohammed (2011) declared a similar sentiment with regard to French gangs. Zdun (2011) gathered empirical support for this proposal through qualitative analysis of development in violent youths and delinquents in the former Soviet Union who emigrated to Germany. Some stopped participating in violent activity if the host society provided positive sources of social support (from institutions and friends above all).…”