Denmark, Danish Institute of Human Rights & Børns Vilkår (2024), Ethnicity and bully dynamics: Experiences of School Children

Country

Denmark

Title

Denmark, Danish Institute of Human Rights & Børns Vilkår (2024), Ethnicity and bully dynamics: Experiences of School Children

View full research

Year

2024

Publication type

Report - unofficial (CSO) data on incidents

Geographical coverage

National

Area/location of interest

Not applicable - national level

Type of Institution

National human rights body

Institution

Denmark, The Danish Institute for Human Rights (Institut for Menneskerettigheder) & Children's Conditions (Børns Vilkår)

Thematic focus

Discrimination

Groups

Religious minorities People of African descent General population People of Asian descent

Key findings

The report uncovers the extent to which school students experience bullying related to ethnicity. Specifically, it uncovers the extent to which students have experienced being called names, made fun of, threatened or subjected to physical violence because of their skin colour, nationality, religion or culture. Half of the students with a minority ethnic background who participated responded that they have experienced being bullied because of their skin colour, nationality, religion or culture. The students said that the most common form of bullying is being made fun of or “called nasty names” by other students, including in relation to their skin colour or nationality. The report also shows that almost a fifth of the students with "non-Western background" have experienced degrading behaviour from their teachers because of their ethnicity. This is a significantly higher proportion than among students with Western or majority ethnic background.

Methodology (Qualitative/Quantitative and exact type used, questionnaires etc)

Quantitative questionnaire and quotes from calls/letters to The Children's Phone.

Sample details and representativeness

The Danish Institute for Human Rights and Børns Vilkår have included a number of questions about experiences with bullying related to ethnicity in Børns Vilkår's questionnaire survey sent out in spring 2023 to all schools in Børns Vilkår's School Panel. The School Panel consists of more than 250 classes from more than 170 schools across the country. The schools participate for a period of three years and the same classes are followed from 4th to 6th grade and from 7th to 9th grade. The students are divided into two groups: students belonging to minorities (which can be divided between students with "Western minority background" and "non-Western minority background") and students belonging to the majority.

DISCLAIMERThe information presented here is collected under contract by the FRA's research network FRANET. The information and views contained do not necessarily reflect the views or the official position of the FRA.