An Åbo Akademi University study investigated the differences in bullying risk between people of Finnish origin and immigrants in the region of Ostrobothnia.
A young person with a foreign background is three times more likely to be at risk of being bullied or discriminated against by other students or teachers compared to young people of Finnish descent, according to a recent study by Åbo Akademi University.
The study–which was conducted in the region of Ostrobothnia–investigated bullying and ethnic discrimination between young people of Finnish origin and immigrant youth.
According to a press release from the university, young people of immigrant background experience less sense of belonging than young people of Finnish origin due to the risk of bullying.
In addition, young people with a foreign background in the study said that they did not feel comfortable or connected at school.
“This is a serious problem in terms of equality. We call for more research and better cooperation between researchers, teachers and policy makers to change the current situation. Every child has the right to go to school in a socially equal and just environment, regardless of their background,” said Isik Ulubas, a postgraduate student in developmental psychology at Åbo Akademi University.
The study was initially conducted in 2019, and 1,827 students of secondary and upper secondary school age from both Finnish- and Swedish-speaking schools in the western Ostrobothnia region participated in the survey.
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