Acculturation and Delinquent Behavior Among Cuban American Adolescents: Toward an Empirical Model

Uses data derived from a study of 6th- and 7th-grade Cuban American adolescents in the greater Miami, Florida, area. The effects of immigrant cultural adjustment on the behavior of adolescents, especially deviant behavior, has been a subject of interest for decades. However, heretofore, little empirical research has been conducted. Key findings indicate that family factors are related to the development of attitudes favoring deviance, whereas acculturation conflicts are associated with delinquent behavior. Results are considered tentative but important for developing a comprehensive and theoretically grounded model of factors contributing to deviant behavior among Hispanic adolescents.