A number of researchers have examined undocumented migration from Central America. This literature lacks information about adult beliefs regarding the motivations of minors who journey from Central America unaccompanied and undocumented. Using data from a recent survey conducted in Honduras, we examine adult Hondurans’ beliefs about why unaccompanied minors leave the country unaccompanied. The dependent variable is a dummy variable that measures “why children leave the country.” Predictor variables are attitudes toward smuggling, willingness to leave without documentation, deportation experience, age, income, and residence in the northern part of Honduras. Using multinomial logistic regression, we find support for four of the eight hypotheses. Findings indicate that adults from the northern region are most likely to believe minors would leave for reasons associated with undocumented immigration. Those who are younger, with lower incomes, and with less access to sanitation are more likely to believe minors would leave without documentation.

许多研究人员研究了来自中美洲的无证移民。这些文献缺乏关于成人信仰的信息，这些信息涉及无人陪伴和无证件从中美洲旅行的未成年人的动机。使用最近在洪都拉斯进行的一项调查的数据，我们调查了洪都拉斯成年人对无人陪伴的未成年人为何无人陪伴离开该国的看法。因变量是一个虚拟变量，用来衡量“孩子为什么离开这个国家”。预测变量是对走私的态度、无证件离开的意愿、驱逐经历、年龄、收入和在洪都拉斯北部的居住地。使用多项逻辑回归，我们找到了对八种假设中的四种的支持。调查结果表明，来自北部地区的成年人最有可能相信未成年人会因为与无证移民相关的原因离开。那些年龄较小、收入较低、卫生设施较少的人更有可能相信未成年人会在没有证件的情况下离开。