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Thesis/Dissertation Information
- Degree Disciplines:
- Education
Notes
- Abstract:
- Purpose: Delinquency in the United States continues to increase for adolescents between the ages of 11 and 17 years old. Ethnic minority groups, specifically those who have come from immigrant families, have shown some of the most dramatic increases in delinquency. Many researchers are directing attention to and examining the effects of acculturation and immigration on migrant families, especially Hispanic families. However, the process is not well understood for other populations. This study examines the effects of acculturation on adolescents’ delinquent behavior for Haitian families. Method: The data derived from a group of 93 Haitian families with children between the ages of 11 and 17, residing in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Correlational analyses were used to examine the strength and direction of the relationship of parents’ level of acculturation with parental perceptions of their adolescent’s delinquency and the adolescents’ self-reported delinquent behaviors. Major Findings: Pearson’s product coefficient (r) was conducted at the alpha level of to determine whether the relationships were significant. The results indicated that there was no significant relationship between acculturation and parents’ perceptions of delinquency, nor was there a relationship between acculturation and an adolescent’s self-reported delinquency. It was hypothesized that when parents do not understand the host culture and do not understand how to operate in the host culture’s complex systems (e.g., school system), their adolescents tend to display inappropriate behavior. Parents may not correct the inappropriate behavior because they may not be fully aware of the social norms that determine what is acceptable and what is not in the new society. Further analyses revealed that adolescents’ self-reported delinquency was higher than the parents’ perceptions of the delinquency for the families that were less acculturated. Thus, the families that were acculturated or considered bicultural answered very similarly to their adolescents on the self-report instrument. Clinical ramifications for the findings and future research questions are also discussed.
- Thesis:
- Thesis (Ph.D.)--Barry University, 2005.
- Bibliography:
- Includes bibliographical references (leaves 64-73).
Record Information
- Source Institution:
- Barry University
- Holding Location:
- Barry University Archives and Special Collections
- Rights Management:
- Copyright Elda Kanzki-Veloso. Permission granted to Barry University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
- Resource Identifier:
- E184.H27 K36 2005_Kanzki-VelosoElda ( BU-Local )
- Classification:
- E184.H27 K36 2005 ( lcc )
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