Leaving Home among Turkish and Moroccan Second-Generation and Dutch Young Adults: The Influence of Parent-Child and Peer Relations

Tom Kleinepier, Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI)
Helga A. G. de Valk, Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI) and Vrije Universiteit Brussel

This study examines influences of relations with parents and peers on home-leaving behavior among migrant-descent and Dutch young adults. Data come from the TIES survey including the Turkish and Moroccan second generation as well as a native comparison group in the Netherlands. Competing risks models are applied to distinguish between leaving home for different reasons. Results indicate that Dutch young adults mainly leave home at relative young ages to attend further education, while in particular women of the Turkish second generation are more likely to postpone leaving home for marriage. Among the second generation, we find that having close friends outside one’s own ethnic group decreases the chance of leaving home for union formation. Conflicts with parents accelerate the process of leaving home for independence among women of all origin groups.