Do migrant children's religion and culture make them victims of school bullies? A scoping review

Abstract Background Schools are one of the first and most effective service systems that migrant children encounter in the host country where they settle. The school environment can contain difficulties, such as discrimination, exclusion, or bullying due to religious identity or cultural differences. This study aimed to examine the effects of migrant children's religious identity or culture on their exposure to bullying in schools. Methods This scoping review was conducted in PubMed and Scopus online databases without any year limitation. The search strategy included combinations of the following keywords: ‘migrant’, ‘immigrant’, ‘refugee’, ‘asylum seekers’, ‘child*’, ‘religio*’, ‘religio* beliefs’, ‘religio* identity’, ‘faith’, ‘cultur*’, ‘school’, ‘bully*’. Empirical (qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods) and English language studies with full text available were included. Results This review included 13 peer-reviewed journal articles. More than half of the studies found that school bullying in migrant individuals was caused by religious identity, ethnicity, race and cultural differences. Most studies reported that migrant children were bullied by their peers in the school environment in relation to their language and physical appearance. Some studies have highlighted that migrant children experience bullying by their teachers due to cultural prejudices. Additionally, a few studies have found that when cultural adjustment stress is high among migrant mothers, their children's bullying victimisation increases. Conclusions This study revealed that school bullying was caused by language barriers, physical differences, ethnicity and race. Therefore, parents, teachers, students, school personnel and administrators should be trained to increase religious and cultural sensitivity and social environments that support migrant children should be created. Such interventions can support the integration process of migrant children by reducing their experiences of bullying. Key messages • Religious identity, cultural differences, language barriers, and physical appearance contribute to school bullying against migrant children, emphasizing the need for culturally sensitive schools. • Training parents, teachers, students, and school staff in cultural and religious sensitivity can reduce bullying and promote the successful social integration of migrant children.