Trajectories of Delinquency from Adolescence to Adulthood

Darci Powell, University of California, San Francisco
Krista Perreira, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Rising immigration rates to the U.S. have been associated with increased pubic sentiment against immigrant populations and fears that immigration will lead to escalations in crime and delinquency. However, surprisingly few researchers have studied delinquency among immigrant youth or in comparison with U.S.-born youth. Guided by a life-course perspective, we use three waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to describe longitudinal variations in delinquency by gender, race-ethnicity, immigrant generation, co-ethnic community concentration, and their interactions. We find the first-generation Asian females and second-generation Hispanic females have the highest risk of delinquency during early adolescence. During late adolescence, Asian and Hispanic 3rd+ generation youth have the highest risk of delinquency. However, as youth transition to adulthood the rates of delinquency for all population groups converge.