Acculturative dissonance, ethnic identity, and youth violence.

Abstract

Studies suggest that the process of acculturation for immigrant youth, particularly for second-generation youth, is significantly associated with delinquency and violence. This study explored the acculturation-violence link with respect to acculturative dissonance and ethnic identity. The results revealed in a sample of 329 Chinese, Cambodian, Mien/Laotian, and Vietnamese youth that acculturative dissonance was significantly predictive of serious violence, with full mediation through peer delinquency. Ethnic identity was not significantly associated with peer delinquency or serious violence. Although acculturative dissonance and ethnic identity accounted for a small percentage of variance in violence compared with peer delinquency, it cannot be discounted as trivial. Structural equation analyses provided support for both measurement and structural invariance across the four ethnic groups, lending support for cross-cultural comparisons. The results also lend support for the inclusion of cultural factors in youth violence prevention and intervention efforts.

Racial/Ethnic Disparities and Culturally Competent Health Care Among Youth and Young Men

“…An acculturation gap between parent and child has been associated with parenting difficulties and family conflict in Asian American families (Buki, Ma, Strom, & Strom, 2003;Lee et al, 2000), which in turn has been reported to mediate the effect of the acculturation gap on depressive symptoms in Asian American adolescents (Ying & Han, 2007). Acculturation gaps have also been reported to be predictive of youth violence (Le & Stockdale, 2008) and have also been hypothesized to play a role in the initiation of substance use in AAPI youth (Bhattacharya, 1998). In general, clinicians serving AAPI youth should assess acculturation, be alert to the possibility of acculturation gaps contributing to family conflicts, and understand how these cultural dynamics can affect the mental health and risk behaviors of these youth.…”

“…Immigrant youth tend to adopt the values of the host countries more quickly than their parents do, resulting in discrepancies in values between the youth and their families (Chung, 2001;Phinney, Ong, & Madden, 2000). Emerging research supports strategies to reduce youth violence and substance abuse that include supporting positive ethnic identity development, enhancing bicultural self-efficacy (the ability to function effectively in multiple cultural contexts), and improving family communication by addressing intergenerational cultural conflicts (Le & Stockdale, 2008;Soriano, Rivera, Williams, Daley, & Reznik, 2004;Szapocznik, Prado, Burlew, Williams, & Santisteban, 2007).…”

Expanding the Acculturation Gap-Distress Model: An Integrative Review of Research

“…Across age, generation, and ethnic group, subjective perceptions of acculturation gaps and acculturative dissonance are consistently associated with higher perceived family problems, such as less parenting satisfaction, less parent-child bonding, less family cohesion, and more family conflict, as well as youth maladjustment, such as substance use, conduct problems, and depression [Ahn, Kim, & Park, 2008;Asvat & Malcarne, 2008;Buki, Ma, Strom, & Strom, 2003;Choi, He, & Barachi, 2008;Feliz-Oritz, Fernandez, & Newcomb, 1998;Hwang & Wood, 2008;Le & Stockdale, 2008;Lee, Choe, & Ngo, 2000;Rosenthal, Ranieri, & Klimidis, 1996;Smokowski & Bacallao, 2006;Tsai-Chae & Nagata, 2008;Unger, Rita-Olson, Soto, & BaezcondeGarbanati, 2009;Ying & Han, 2007].…”

“…These cultural differences are thought to exacerbate normative intergenerational conflict. Acculturative dissonance involves conflicts that stem from differences in beliefs, values, and attitudes associated with immigration [Le & Stockdale, 2008]. Portes and Rumbaut [2001] note that 'dissonant acculturation takes place when children's learning of English and introjections of American cultural outlooks so exceed their parents' as to leave the latter hopelessly behind.…”

Delinquency and Crime among Immigrant Youth—An Integrative Review of Theoretical Explanations

“…The evidence indicates that immigrant adolescents generally have limited access to peers, less autonomy over friend selection, and engage in less informal socializing with peers, leading to their lower levels of exposure to criminogenic peer-based risks [70,71,74]. However, Dipietro and McGloin found that immigrant adolescents are more vulnerable than native-born youth when facing a similar level of exposure to peer delinquency [75].…”