Racist victimization among children in The Netherlands: the effect of ethnic group and school

TLDR

Racist victimization of children in the Netherlands, particularly among ethnic minorities, is a growing concern. This study uses nationwide data to assess the prevalence of racist victimization among Dutch, Turkish, Moroccan, and Surinamese children aged 10–13. Multilevel analyses examined how multicultural education and school ethnic composition influence victimization rates. Ethnic minority children, especially Turkish, experience higher rates of name‑calling and exclusion; teacher responses reduce racism, while multicultural education is linked to increased victimization among Dutch children, and a higher proportion of Dutch pupils is associated with lower victimization for Dutch children but higher victimization for minorities. Keywords: Racism, Children, School, Segregation, Multicultural Education.

Abstract

Abstract Using data from a nation-wide study, this article examines the extent of racist victimization among Dutch, Turkish, Moroccan and Surinamese children (10-13 years) in The Netherlands. The responses indicate that ethnic minority children are more often victim of racist name-calling and social exclusion than are Dutch children. Furthermore, Turkish children are more likely to face racism than Surinamese and Moroccan children. Using multilevel analysis, the effects of multicultural education and the ethnic composition of the school were also examined. If teachers reacted to incidents, this had a positive effect on racism. Furthermore, multicultural education was positively related to reported experiences with racist victimization, but this effect was only found for the Dutch children. In addition, a higher percentage of Dutch pupils was related to less racist victimization of the Dutch and to more victimization of the three ethnic minority groups. Keywords: RacismChildrenSchool SegregationMulticultural Education