Abstract
Youth of immigrant background are at risk of experiencing victimization due to their ethnic or cultural background. However, limited knowledge is available regarding why youth victimize their immigrant peers, and whether the factors associated with engagement in ethnic victimization vary across adolescents of different background. To address this gap in knowledge, the present study aimed to elucidate the common or differential factors associated with engagement in ethnic victimization among immigrant and native youth. The analytical sample included seventh grade students residing in Sweden from 55 classrooms (N = 963, Mage = 13.11, SD = 0.41; 46% girls; 38% youth of immigrant background). The results showed that being morally disengaged and engaging in general victimization are the common denominators of engagement in ethnic victimization for immigrant and Swedish youth. Low levels of positive attitudes toward immigrants provide a foundation for ethnic victimization among Swedish youth, but not youth of immigrant background. Classroom ethnic composition was not significantly related to engagement in ethnic victimization in either group. Predictors of engagement in ethnic victimization seem to have similarities and differences among immigrant and Swedish youth. The factors involved require further attention in developing strategies to combat bias-based hostile behaviors in diverse school settings.
Highlights
Schools in European countries, including Sweden, are becoming increasingly ethnically and culturally diverse due to significant waves of immigration
Recent empirical works have challenged this assumption by showing that native youth, and those of immigrant background victimize their peers on the basis of ethnic or cultural background. Despite these recent efforts in identifying the perpetrators of ethnic victimization, limited knowledge is available about whether the factors associated with engagement in ethnic victimization vary across adolescents of different background. To address this gap in knowledge, the current study aimed to elucidate the common or differential factors associated with engagement in ethnic victimization among immigrant and native youth
Disengagement from morality and being victims or perpetrators of general victimization were positively associated with engagement in ethnic victimization among both immigrant and Swedish youth
Summary
Schools in European countries, including Sweden, are becoming increasingly ethnically and culturally diverse due to significant waves of immigration. It has been shown that youth with pro-immigration attitudes and high cultural intelligence tend to form more cross-ethnic friendships (Jugert et al, 2011) By contrast, those with negative feelings and attitudes about immigrants tend to avoid crossethnic contacts (Binder et al, 2009), and are more likely to engage in ethnic victimization (Bayram Özdemir et al, 2018) or racial bullying (Caravita et al, 2020). Those with negative feelings and attitudes about immigrants tend to avoid crossethnic contacts (Binder et al, 2009), and are more likely to engage in ethnic victimization (Bayram Özdemir et al, 2018) or racial bullying (Caravita et al, 2020) Together, these findings suggest that youth’s prejudiced out-group perceptions may act as a barrier to the formation of positive inter-ethnic relationships, and result in ethnic conflicts in social interactions
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