Which term describes the process of assimilation where immigrants' crime rates move toward native-born levels?

• A. Immigrant-serving organizations
• B. Self-selection
• C. Social disorganization theory
• D. Acculturation effect

Answer: (D)

This question is about how crime risk changes as immigrants adapt to the host society. The term that captures the idea of assimilation leading to crime rates moving toward native-born levels is the acculturation effect. As immigrants adopt the host country’s norms and behaviors, their patterns of offending tend to converge toward those of native-born individuals over time. In other words, the longer or more deeply immigrants integrate culturally, the more their crime rates resemble those of native-born residents.

Other options describe different ideas but not this convergence through adaptation. Immigrant-serving organizations refer to groups that assist immigrants, not a process of behavioral change. Self-selection is about who chooses to migrate and their pre-migration characteristics, not how crime rates adjust after arrival. Social disorganization theory explains crime at the neighborhood level due to weak institutions, not the assimilation-driven convergence of individuals’ behaviors with the host society.