Document Type : Original Article
Author
Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Imam Khomeini International University (RA), Qazvin, Iran.
Abstract
Objective: Perceived social discrimination is one of the key factors influencing juvenile delinquency in marginalized urban areas and can contribute to broader social problems. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between perceived social discrimination and delinquent behavior among adolescents living in marginalized areas of Qazvin city, as well as to analyze the effects of different dimensions of discrimination (economic, educational, cultural, and institutional) on delinquent behavior.
Methods: This research employed a quantitative, survey-based method. The statistical population consisted of 380 adolescents residing in marginalized areas, who were selected using Cochran’s formula and a multi-stage cluster sampling method. Data were collected through a questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS software.
Results: Pearson correlation analysis indicated that all dimensions of perceived social discrimination, except cultural discrimination, had positive and significant relationships with overall delinquency and its components, including risky behavior, criminal behavior, and school dropout/truancy. In the multivariate regression model, institutional, economic, and educational discrimination had the greatest impact on delinquency, and the model’s adjusted coefficient of determination was 0.464, indicating that these dimensions explained 46.4% of the variance in delinquent behavior.
Conclusions: These findings suggest that reducing social and economic discrimination and promoting equal opportunities can play a crucial role in preventing juvenile delinquency. Furthermore, the results emphasize that social policies and programs should focus on improving educational, economic, and institutional conditions in marginalized areas to prevent the formation of cycles of inequality and the escalation of delinquent behaviors among adolescents.
Keywords
)