Interpersonal Violence and its Association with US Migration Desires and Plans among Youths in Guanajuato, Mexico

Abstract

This study examined interpersonal physical and sexual violence and its association with desires and plans to migrate to the USA among 500 alternative high school students, aged 14–17 years, from Guanajuato, Mexico. Two thirds of the youths had ever experienced interpersonal violence, the most common form being physical fights. More youths, and more boys relative to girls, reported wanting to migrate than planning to migrate. Although those who had experienced interpersonal violence were not more likely to want to migrate to the USA, their odds of planning to migrate were 44% greater. Gender did not moderate the effect of interpersonal violence.

Religiosity and Migration Aspirations among Mexican Youth

“…Gender was included in the model because research shows that boys and girls have different social norms regarding migration, and there are longstanding gender differences surrounding opportunity in Mexico (Cortez 2001; Kandel and Massey 2002). Age, as previously mentioned, was included because thoughts and plans regarding migration are substantially different between a 14-year-old respondent who just started high school and a respondent who is over 17 (Nieri et al 2011). SES is included as it has consistently been found to be a significant predictor of migration intentions (Alba et al 1999; Martin and Widgren 2002).…”

“…A measure of parent/child relationship was included because the quality of this relationship could be an influential factor in shaping a youth's desires to leave home (Nieri et al 2011). This measure was created from two questions: “How would you describe your relationship with your mother,” and “How would you describe your relationship with your father.” Responses ranged from 0=Bad to 4=Excellent.…”

“…While migration from Mexico to the USA is traditionally thought of as a purely economic decision (Alba et al 1999; Borjas 1989; Kandel and Massey 2002), it is now understood that other influences also play a significant role in migration patterns (Massey and Espinosa 1997), including human capital investment, socioeconomic status (SES), social networks, and violence (Kanaiaupuni 2000; Martin and Widgren 2002; Nieri et al 2011). Although many of these factors influence migration at the macro level, they do not completely explain individual reasons to migrate (Rogler 1994), resulting in recent studies seeking to better understand micro-level migration factors (e.g., Castellanos 2007; Nieri et al 2011).…”

“…Although many of these factors influence migration at the macro level, they do not completely explain individual reasons to migrate (Rogler 1994), resulting in recent studies seeking to better understand micro-level migration factors (e.g., Castellanos 2007; Nieri et al 2011). The purpose of this study, therefore, is to increase understanding on one such micro-level aspect of migration that has not received much attention from the academic community—the influence of religiosity on migration aspirations.…”

Violencia y salud mental asociados a pensar o haber intentado emigrar internacionalmente por adolescentes mexicanos

“…La violencia doméstica incluye también victimización y exposición a violencia entre padres, lo que conduce a comportamientos disruptivos, pobre rendimiento académico 11 , ideación suicida 12 y huida del hogar 10 . Pero también la violencia en la escuela y la comunidad afectan cognitiva, emocionalmente y comportamentalmente a los menores 4,13 , dando lugar a numerosos riesgos involucrados en la búsqueda de estrategias desviantes de supervivencia 13,14 , incluida la migración internacional, perturbando el desarrollo educativo de los jóvenes y el plan de vida 5,15 . Según la Organización para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo Económicos (OCDE), de los 33 países estudiados, México en ambiente escolar ocupa el primer lugar en lesiones físicas ocasionadas por la violencia, vandalismo escolar y robo, tercero en el uso y posesión de drogas, y cuarto en intimidación o abuso verbal entre estudiantes 16 .…”