Immigrant youth and crime: stakeholder perspectives on risk and protective factors
Report by Marian J. Rossiter and Katherine R. Rossiter, 2009. Prairie Metropolis Centre.
Did you know?
46 to 74 percent of immigrant youth whose
first language is not English fail to finish high school.
Immigrant youth are recruited into gangs
and illegal activity as early as the age of 10, and continuing to the ages of
18-20.
Immigrant and refugee youth are not
perceived to be in conflict with the law more than their Canadian peers, but
they are more vulnerable to gang recruitment.
If the basic needs of immigrant youth are
not met they will seek alternative means, which may lead to involvement in
organized crime. This report examines key factors at play in
the lives of immigrant youths who become involved in crime, gangs, and violence
in Edmonton.
Prime risk factors identified are:
Family – poverty, lack of healthy family
relationships, mental and physical health
Individual – pre-immigration violence,
addiction, health issues
Peer – social exclusion, discrimination,
inter-ethnic conflict
School – lack of ESL and curriculum
adaptation; bullying; interrupted formal education
Community – lack of role models and
leadership opportunities within their ethno-cultural community; lack of safe
and affordable housing
Many of these risk factors will compound on
each other to create extremely volatile situations.
4 major policy recommendations are made by
the authors:
Enhance integration by providing adequate
funding for settlement, mental health, and multicultural services to facilitate
adaptation.
Government must ensure that the
socioeconomic circumstances of immigrant families allow them to meet their
basic needs. Programs for safe housing
and appropriate employment are necessary.
Communities must have comprehensive support
networks for immigrant youth and their families in place to provide youth with
information about social and health services, education, employment, and other
resources.
Schools are in an ideal place to meet the
needs of immigrant youth. A process of
needs and risk assessment should be set up, followed by adequate ESL support
and necessary curriculum adaptation.
Culturally and ethnically diverse staff populations are in a position to
act as role models. Zero-tolerance
methods for dealing with bullying and other transgressions should be replaced
with restorative measures. Immigrant
students should be supplied with career counselling, goal-setting guidance,
after-school programs aimed at helping them adapt and integrate, and funding
for further education.
Coordination between multiple levels of
government and diverse sectors of the community is essential for reducing the
risk of immigrant youth becoming involved in criminal activity.
This paper is useful for anyone working
with immigrants or at-risk youth; educators.
Sunday, 05 February 2012 
