Classroom ethnic diversity, teacher support, and peer victimization: Evidence from four European countries

Abstract We investigated how classroom ethnic diversity is associated with peer victimization, effects of ethnic minority/majority status, and if individual teacher support can buffer potentially negative effects of ethnic diversity. Using two theoretical perspectives (balance of power, ethnic competition), we hypothesized that (1) victimization is more prevalent at intermediate ethnic diversity and less prevalent at lower and higher ethnic diversity, (2) this curvilinear link is stronger for ethnic majority than minority students, and (3) peer victimization at intermediate levels of ethnic diversity is lower when teacher support is high. We conducted multilevel analyses based on the first wave of the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Survey in Four European Countries (CILS4EU). The analytical sample included 17,882 students, nested in 882 classrooms. Although our hypotheses received no support, the findings showed that diversity was linked to less victimization for ethnic minority student. Teacher support was linked to less victimization for ethnic minority students at every level of classroom diversity but especially when diversity was low and to less victimization for ethnic majority students in classrooms with intermediate to high ethnic diversity. We discuss our findings in light the theoretical approaches and underscore the role of teachers as a protective resource.