Abstract
This study examined interpersonal physical and sexual violence and its association with desires and plans to migrate to the USA among 500 alternative high school students, aged 14–17 years, from Guanajuato, Mexico. Two thirds of the youths had ever experienced interpersonal violence, the most common form being physical fights. More youths, and more boys relative to girls, reported wanting to migrate than planning to migrate. Although those who had experienced interpersonal violence were not more likely to want to migrate to the USA, their odds of planning to migrate were 44% greater. Gender did not moderate the effect of interpersonal violence.
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Acknowledgments
Data collection and analysis were supported by the Distinguished Foundation Professorship of Cultural Diversity and Health funded by Arizona State University. Logistical and methodological support was provided by the Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center (SIRC). SIRC is an Exploratory Center of Excellence for health disparities research, funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) (P20MD002316) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of NIMHD or NIH. The authors are grateful to Augustine Kposowa for comments on an earlier draft of this paper.
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Nieri, T., Hoffman, S., Marsiglia, F.F. et al. Interpersonal Violence and its Association with US Migration Desires and Plans among Youths in Guanajuato, Mexico. Int. Migration & Integration 13, 365–381 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-011-0216-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-011-0216-2