Inequality and delinquency: The role of immigrant background and strain in crime, violence and weapon carrying

Abstract

This study examines differences in delinquency between young immigrant and native youth, and whether these differences are explained by inequality and other strain-related factors. The analysis draws on Robert Agnew’s general strain theory and is based on a random sample of more than 3,000 adolescents aged 13 to 17 in the capital region of Iceland. The data collection was part of an international research collaboration. Delinquency is measured through indicators of crime, violence, and weapon carrying. The study tests whether perceived discrimination, relative family deprivation, and victimisation mediate the relationship between immigrant background and behaviour. The findings reveal a more nuanced pattern of offending by immigrant status than is often suggested in public debate. There is no difference in delinquency between first-generation immigrant youth and their native peers; however, once strain-related factors are controlled for, first-generation immigrants are significantly less likely to have committed a crime. Second-generation immigrant youth are more likely to engage in violence, partly due to their higher levels of victimisation. Victimisation was strongly associated with all forms of delinquency, while perceived discrimination and poverty were linked only to weapon carrying. Overall, victimisation emerges as a particularly important risk factor, highlighting the need for victim-focused support within prevention efforts.