Attitudes and Behavior: A Comparison of Immigrant and Non-Immigrant Adolescents in Israel

This study examines the behavioral and emotional experience of sixty non-immigrant and sixty-one immigrant adolescents who resided in the Negev in 1993. The results show, after controlling for various social and economic factors, that immigrant youth were more likely to drink alcohol, feel less happy, and experience more problems with peers than their non-immigrant counterparts. The results also show that the non-immigrant youth tend to associate with others born in the country, and the immigrants with other immigrants. Possible explanations for these observed differences between the two groups are discussed along with implications for service intervention.