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Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 237 (2017) 505 – 510

7th International Conference on Intercultural Education “Education, Health and ICT for a
Transcultural World”, EDUHEM 2016, 15-17 June 2016, Almeria, Spain

Study to investigate the links between crimes committed by youth

offenders and the nature of their migratory movements
Juan Miguel Fernández-Campoy* & José Manuel Aguilar-Parra
Universidad de Almería, Carretera Sacramento, Almería, 04009, España

Abstract

For some time now, the principal Spanish authorities responsible in the fields of education, youth and justice, have observed with
great concern and astonishment, a considerable rise in criminal activity, particularly since 1998, whose protagonists are mainly
youth offenders of foreign nationality. Given this situation there is a growing concern for establishing and understanding all the
processes and factors that affect these individuals and whether, if these are not acted upon with the necessary care and efficiency,
they may lead to the emergence and development of this type of crime. Furthermore, whether there is sufficient conclusive empirical
evidence to date that can establish, without a shadow of a doubt, the existence, or not, of a significant relationship between said
type of crime and the fact that the main protagonists are immigrants, who at the time of committing an offence, were undocumented
in Spain. Based on this, this descriptive study will use the analysis and study of the triggers that cause young immigrants to commit
offences and will investigate the factors that exert most influence on these individuals, as well as the relationship between these
criminal activities and the fact that the protagonists are minors, and at the time of offence, are undocumented in Spain. The results
obtained are of interest in order to provide future scientific profiles of immigrant youth offenders. Likewise, they show good
prospects for improving the current image of immigrant youth offenders, but they could be improved.
©©2017
2016The
TheAuthors.
Authors. Published
Published by by Elsevier
Elsevier Ltd.Ltd.
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of EDUHEM 2016.
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of EDUHEM 2016.
Keywords: Youth offenders; migratory phenomena; social integration; social and community environment; education; review.

1. Background

Modern day society in developed countries is concerned with the rise in a new form of crime perpetrated by youth
offenders. This situation causes greater unease when these minors, apart from committing crimes, are of foreign

* Corresponding author. E-mail address: jfc105@ual.es

1877-0428 © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of EDUHEM 2016.
doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2017.02.099
506 Juan Miguel Fernández-Campoy and José Manuel Aguilar-Parra / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 237 (2017) 505 – 510

nationality, because social and public authorities feel overwhelmed, from a conceptual and methodological viewpoint,
dealing with the consequences of this new form of crime; in addition to ensuring that these youths renounce crime and
can return to society as fully entitled and active citizens (Fernández-Campoy, Aguilar-Parra y Álvarez, 2013; Garrido,
Stangeland y Redondo, 2006).
If we analyse fully the predominant features and factors that define these young immigrants and that can explain
the beginnings of their criminal career, it is essential to mention that the main research in this area has all coincided
in highlighting the great amount of mobility they have experienced, which causes profound changes in family
structure, largely due to the complex process of family regrouping and the loss of the educational and nurturing role
of the extended family, which has ever less presence in their lives (Becedóniz, Rodríguez, Herrero, Paínmo y Chan,
2005).
All of these aforementioned circumstances explain the deep uprooting these immigrant minors suffer when they
arrive in a foreign country. They do not have the majority of their family and peer group with them and therefore it is
harder for them to overcome limitations and hardships when they have lost their social and emotional bonds. The loss
of this support system that would have guaranteed them a quick and effective process of integration into these
environments, in turn leads to the development of antisocial and unhealthy behaviours (Fernández-Campoy, Pérez-
Gallardo, León y Salguero, 2014).
In addition to the loss of family, social and emotional bonds, severe challenges of integration into the educational
system also arise, which becomes a serious obstacle for them being able to achieve a high level of academic and
professional education. For this reason they will be rejected by the labour market or in the best case scenario, will be
destined to undertake poorly qualified labour that has little social recognition and with which they will not be able to
obtain the economic resources needed to provide for and maintain their families, thus being forced into criminal
activity in order to obtain easy and quick money (López, Carpintero, Campo, Lázaro y Soriano, 2011).
Faced with this scenario of social and employment upheaval, it is not insignificant that approximately a third of
these immigrant minors end up consuming narcotic substances, according to leading clinical studies, in an attempt to
find an escape route, if only temporarily, that allows them to run away from their deeply unsettling social, emotional,
family and employment problems. (Markez y Pastor, 2010).
Focusing on the purely criminal aspect, as shown by the few criminological studies that have been carried out to
date, immigrant minors commit crimes less than other minors, and these crimes are more likely to be attacks against
the state and socio-economic order, attacks against collective security, attacks against freedom, theft and public
disorder (Montero, 2014).
Consistent with this more behavioural line of thought held by experts in juvenile delinquency, throughout this study
we aim to identify and describe all of those cognitive and interpersonal aspects that seem to be present in immigrant
youth offenders and that once known, will be able to accurately describe all of the behavioural aspects that influence
the character of a young immigrant offender and which can determine their initiation into the criminal world at a
young age. According to the most prominent studies and scientific investigations that have been developed in the last
few years, these aspects seem to greatly affect whether immigrant minors will embark on a criminal career or not
(Salvador, 2013). Similarly, knowing about these behavioural aspects will allow for the creation and implementation
of effective juvenile delinquent prevention programmes, as well as appropriate educational and training models that
ensure their full reintegration into society and employment.
In summary, this study aims to investigate those cognitive and interpersonal aspects that can be useful to describe
and identify the way in which the immigrant youth offender’s character works and which could greatly contribute to
the development and implementation of effective juvenile delinquent prevention programmes and educational and
training models that enable full reintegration into society and employment of these minors in the near future, with the
aim of ensuring they return to society as active citizens and highly qualified professionals who contribute to the growth
and improvement of social structures.

2. Objective

The implementation of this study aims to achieve various objectives, among which can be noted:
1) To find out the different workings and factors which affect immigrant minors and if not sufficiently detected
and treated, can end up determining their initiation into the criminal world at a young age.
 Juan Miguel Fernández-Campoy and José Manuel Aguilar-Parra / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 237 (2017) 505 – 510 507

2) To establish whether there is sufficient conclusive empirical evidence to date that can determine, without a
shadow of a doubt, the existence of a relationship between criminal activities committed by immigrant minors and the
fact that they commit these offences whilst they are undocumented in Spain.

3. Method

3.1. Evidence

In order to compile the evidence that would provide this study with the production of data, a complete and
exhaustive review of scientific literature was carried out, which throughout history has specialised in the study,
analysis and description of the profile that defines an immigrant youth offender. The same process was carried out to
find out which factors could be important in determining whether there is a relation between the nature of their criminal
activities and the fact that at the time of offence, they were undocumented in Spain.

3.2. Resources

In order to compile this data we have analysed scientific publications specialised in the topic of this study, as well
as publications provided by scientific libraries and the Internet.

3.3. Procedure

Firstly, we visited several scientific libraries and consulted technical documents on the internet, with the idea of
being able to determine the workings and factors that affect immigrant youth offenders and which if not suitably
detected and treated, could end up determining the initiation of these minors into the world of crime at a very young
age. In addition to researching empirical evidence that could confirm without any shadow of a doubt, the existence of
a relationship between the nature of their criminal activities and the fact that at the time of committing these, the
minors were undocumented in Spain.
Secondly, the gathered information was analysed during the implementation stage of the study.
Lastly a report was produced containing the most significant results and conclusions of the study.

3.4. Data Analysis

The methodological approach used in this study was one of qualitative research with descriptive resources, such as
the different scientific studies that have analysed the various workings and factors affecting immigrant youth offenders
and if not suitably detected and treated, may lead to their initiation into the criminal world at a very young age. As
well as the most prominent empirical evidence that establishes without a doubt, the existence of a relationship between
the nature of their criminal activity and the fact that at the time of their perpetration, these minors were undocumented
in Spain. All of this has been used with the intention of obtaining a significant and contextualised interpretation of the
collected data (Buendía, 1999).

4. Results

Currently, scientific studies on the criminal profession are starting to put forward the idea that the collective of
youth offenders is not a completely homogenous entity, but that within this body it is possible to establish a series of
clearly differentiated traits. In this way, it can be asserted that immigrant minors who become initiated into the criminal
world are for the most part male and that females are rarely found in this area (Fernández-Campoy, 2008).
Another discerning feature of this collective relates to the majority of them rejecting the regular consumption of
alcohol, mostly as a result of their own beliefs and religious convictions. In greater measure this leads them to opt for
the consumption of solvent based products, glue and hash, in a clear attempt to find a way, according to the youths
508 Juan Miguel Fernández-Campoy and José Manuel Aguilar-Parra / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 237 (2017) 505 – 510

themselves, that allows them to escape from the social, family and emotional problems that afflict them, as well as
losing their inhibitions so that they can muster the necessary courage to commit offences (Arbex & Jiménez, 2004).
Regarding aspects pertaining to mental and psychological stability and despite the fact that conclusive studies
concerning these variables are only now being made, it is known that immigrant youth offenders present problems
with levels of self-esteem (when they arrive in Spain they feel marginalised socially and very limited), empathy (upon
their arrival they receive little emotional support or help, so that they end up becoming withdrawn and extremely
individualistic), interpersonal communication skills (they find it hard to understand and assimilate many of the Spanish
cultural traits, as well as managing the tools needed to be able to use them as powerful vehicles of communication),
etc. (Valdenegro, 2005).
The establishment of inadequate educational responses, the setting of vague integration processes and of social and
community support, as well as a poor and confusing healthcare system and the unreasonable social regard for
immigrant minors as highly conflictive and problematic individuals, means that they become the perfect example of
a highly marginalised and discriminated group. Nevertheless and as clear evidence of the erroneous stereotypes formed
about these minors, it must be acknowledged that their descent into criminal activity is gradual and does not begin as
soon as they land in their country of destination (on average, it usually takes two years before they commit an offence),
and their most representative and characteristic crimes are attacks against property and socio-economic order, attacks
against collective security, attacks against freedom, theft and public disorder (Rodríguez-Díaz, Herrero, Ovejero y
Torres, 2009).
The breakdown of the family unit is another significant problem these immigrant minors must face, given that in
many cases, they arrive at their country of destination completely alone or without the majority of their extended
family members, which means that they end up developing a significant number of disruptive behaviours in a clear
attempt to gain the attention of their absent parents. Furthermore, from an educational perspective, their family
members end up becoming less relevant to them as examples to follow (Fresneda, 2001).

5. Conclusions

Nowadays, it is necessary to bear in mind the complexity of being able to establish a profile that clearly unites the
main workings and factors that affect an immigrant minor and that if not suitably detected and treated, could determine
their early onset into the criminal world. In spite of this significant difficulty, the most extensive investigations on this
subject all stress that these minors show certain levels of breakdown in the family unit. As a consequence of their
migratory movements, they may end up leaving behind their extended family and in this way weakening their primary
family, emotional and referential ties (San Juan y De la Cuesta, 2010).
The peer group is also affected, as a result of the migratory process. In abandoning their place of origin to live in
other countries and social environments, they end up losing contact with their friends and the significant emotional
and social support these provide, which hinders their process of social and community integration within the country
of destination (Herrero, Rodríguez y Musitu, 2014).
Together with previous loss of family, social and emotional ties, they will also experience great difficulty becoming
integrated into the educational system, which will limit their achieving an adequate academic and professional
education. This means that they will be rejected by the labour market or left working in poorly qualified jobs, making
it impossible for them to obtain the necessary economic resources to survive and maintain their families, and will
result in their involvement in criminal activities (theft, small robberies, assault, blackmail, etc.) which will provide
them with easy and quick money (Gómez, Arango, Molina y Barceló, 2010).
At present, there is empirical evidence, which shows that approximately a third of immigrant youth offenders also
begin to consume alcoholic and narcotic substances in an attempt to escape their social, emotional, family and
employment problems (Pilatti, Brussino y Godoy, 2013).
Focusing purely on the question of the criminal aspect and if we look at criminological studies, immigrant minors
commit less offences than the rest of minors. Their crimes are most likely to be attacks against property and socio-
economic order, attacks against collective security, attacks against freedom, theft and public disorder (Morente,
Barroso y Morente, 2009).
While it remains difficult to definitively determine the character profile for immigrant youths who end up
committing criminal and illegal acts, the same is true for establishing whether a relationship exists between the fact
 Juan Miguel Fernández-Campoy and José Manuel Aguilar-Parra / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 237 (2017) 505 – 510 509

that immigrant youths commit criminal and illegal offences whilst they find themselves with an irregular or illegal
status in Spain. This is mostly due to the fact that there are very few studies or research currently available which are
sufficiently conclusive and representative to be able to generalise these results and determine the validity of this
relationship. Despite these challenges, the few studies that have been undertaken on the topic in recent years, have
verified that a large majority of young immigrants who find themselves undocumented in Spain, specifically 82%, do
not turn to crime as their first choice for survival. It is instead as a consequence of their illegal status, which obstructs
their access to gaining employment and an adequate academic education and professional training that leads them to
choose criminal activities, believing that this will provide them with the economic resources necessary to survive.
This explains why the majority of these minors, approximately 70%, once they have regularised their status in the
country, become rehabilitated and leave behind criminal and illegal activities, whilst only a small percentage of them
(12%) prove to be unable to renounce criminal acts, in spite of legalising their status in Spain, thereby becoming repeat
offenders. All these data, even without being able to verify them with the results of more representative and relevant
studies and research, allow researchers to characterise crimes committed by immigrant youths as sporadic and strongly
connected to their process of regularisation within the destination country. Thereby this relationship tends to disappear
or is significantly curbed, when they become “legal citizens.” Although, it must be taken into account that there will
always remain a small number of these minors who will become repeat offenders and will be difficult to rehabilitate
or unable to get their lives back on track, despite having legalised their status and been integrated into a social
framework as active citizens with full rights, including becoming highly qualified and recognised professionals (Lenta,
2013).
Lastly, and despite sufficient current empirical evidence that shows how young immigrants end up being initiated
into the criminal world, in addition to the type and nature of criminal and illegal activity that they may commit
throughout their criminal career, it is necessary for researchers in this field to make progress in establishing solid
conceptual and procedural workings by which it is possible to determine the way in which an illegal status and irregular
situation, within the destination countries of these minors, can cause these youths to become susceptible to a premature
involvement in the criminal world; as well as the fact that they opt for a specific type of criminal and illegal activity,
once they make the decision to reject or dismiss other kinds of criminal activity (Estrada, Herrero y Rodríguez-Díaz,
2014).

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