Why Do Ethnically Harassed Immigrant Adolescents Engage in Violent Behaviors? The Role of Affiliation With Violent Peers

This study aimed to analyze affiliations with violent peers as an underlying mechanism that associates ethnic harassment with violent behaviors among immigrant youth ( N = 365; Mage = 13.93, SD = 0.80), and also identify the risk factors in this relation. The results revealed that identification with an immigrant peer crowd at school made ethnically harassed immigrant adolescents more inclined to associate with violent peers and, in turn, engage in violent behaviors over time. Immigrant youth’s orientation toward the mainstream culture was not found to either elevate or buffer the effect of ethnic harassment on youth’s affiliation with violent peers. Yet, ethnically harassed immigrant adolescents were shown to be more prone to violent behaviors over time when they were less orientated toward Swedish culture. The findings suggest that preventing ethnicity-based harassment and diversifying adolescents’ peer groups at schools may be a way to prevent immigrant adolescents’ involvement in violent behaviors.

Friend Support As a Buffer Against Engagement in Problem Behaviors Among Ethnically Harassed Immigrant Adolescents

The present study aims to investigate whether support from a friend protects against the negative effects of ethnic harassment on engagement in delinquent and violent behaviors among immigrant adolescents in Sweden ( n = 365; X = 13.93, SD = .80). We found that when ethnically harassed immigrant adolescents received friend support, they were less likely to engage in problem behaviors concurrently. Yet, friend support did not moderate the longitudinal associations between ethnic harassment and problem behaviors. These findings highlight the important role of supportive friendship relations in counteracting the detrimental effects of ethnic harassment on externalizing problems, particularly in the short term.

Promoting respect as a solution to workplace harassment

PurposeDespite organizational policies aimed at harassment prevention, harassment based on gender and ethnicity remains pervasive in places of work. Although previous research has identified other antecedents such as harassment climate, the purpose of this paper is to consider whether a climate of respect leads to reductions in identity-based harassment.Design/methodology/approachIn a military sample of active duty men and women (Study 1) and a sample of working adults (Study 2), the authors use survey methods to test whether a climate of respect predicts the occurrence of two forms of identity-based abuse: sexual harassment (Study 1) and ethnic harassment (Study 2).FindingsThe authors find that a climate of respect uniquely predicts harassment based on sex and ethnicity, above and beyond effects of climate for harassment.Originality/valueThese results suggest that, while traditional harassment prevention efforts remain important for deterring identity-based harassment, promotion of a respectful work environment is also an effective tool.