Graduation Term

Summer 2026

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Department of Criminal Justice Sciences

Committee Chair

Marta Ascherio

Committee Co-Chair

Dawn Thomas-Beichner

Committee Member

Brent Teasdale

Abstract

Immigrant adolescents may experience social and structural challenges that increase their vulnerability to victimization and influence long-term developmental outcomes. However, there is little longitudinal research has examined whether immigration generation is associated with adolescent victimization and adult behavioral outcomes using nationally representative data. This study used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) to examine the relationships among immigration generation, adolescent victimization, and adult criminal justice, mental health, and substance use outcomes. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine whether first- and second-generation immigrants differed from third-generation respondents after controlling for race/ethnicity, family structure, household income, school belonging, and neighborhood disadvantage. Additional sex-specific logistic regression models examined whether predictors of adolescent victimization differed between male and female respondents. Results indicated that immigration generation was generally not associated with adolescent victimization or most adult outcomes after accounting for contextual factors. However, second-generation respondents had significantly lower odds of arrest than third-generation respondents. School belonging was consistently associated with lower odds of victimization, whereas neighborhood disadvantage was associated with higher odds of victimization. These findings suggest that contextual social and environmental factors may play a greater role in adolescent victimization and later outcomes than immigration generation alone and highlight the importance of prevention strategies that strengthen supportive school environments and address neighborhood disadvantage.

Access Type

Thesis-Open Access

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