A Comparative Analysis of Delinquency Among Youth From the Former Soviet Union and From Ethiopia in Israel

Israel is a nation characterized by great ethnic complexity. It consists of the dominant group of native Israelis and various other immigrant ethnic groups from the former Soviet Union (FSU) and the immigrants from Ethiopia. These 2 immigrant ethnic groups differ from each other both with regard to their adaptation to and the impact of Israeli society on them. The aim of the present article is to examine the delinquency among youth from the FSU and from Ethiopia in Israel and factors thatmay influence their delinquency. The analysis of official data and self-reported studies indicate that the youths from the FSU and Ethiopia are overrepresented in delinquency and this can be attributed to risk factors related to the lack of integration in the Israeli society.