Immigrant background kids face more bullying at school than natives

Children and young people with a foreign background fare worse than children and young people with two Finnish-born parents across several domains of health, well-being and safety, according to a study commissioned by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).

The School Health Promotion study showed that differences are particularly evident in boys’ health and well-being, said THL in a press release on Thursday.

In the 2025 survey, 51 percent of students in grades 8–9 who were born abroad and have a foreign background reported having experienced discrimination or bullying at school or during their free time in the past year.

Among young people whose both parents are of Finnish background, the corresponding proportion was 31 percent.

Experiences of discrimination and bullying among boys in grades 8–9 have increased markedly between 2021 and 2025, regardless of origin.

Experiences of discrimination increased by as much as 10–15 percentage points across all origin groups.

“The prevalence of discrimination experiences and their increase are worrying. Addressing the situation requires active measures that deliberately strengthen people’s capacity for empathy and non-discrimination in young people’s different environments – at home, at school and during leisure time,” said research professor Anu Castaneda.

The School Health Promotion study was conducted by interviewing pupils in grades 4–5 and 8–9 in basic education, as well as first- and second-year students in upper secondary education.

In THL’s new research report, the results are examined across four origin groups: children and young people with a foreign background born abroad; those born in Finland with a foreign background; those with one Finnish-born and one foreign-born parent; and those whose parents are both of Finnish background.

Among girls, differences between origin groups were smaller than among boys, but their overall situation was weaker.

“Girls report symptoms such as anxiety, school burnout, dissatisfaction with life and loneliness clearly more often than boys,” Castaneda said.

Among boys, differences between origin groups manifested in different ways. For example, among first- and second-year students in general upper secondary education, 18 percent of boys born abroad with a foreign background reported at least moderate anxiety.

The corresponding proportion among boys whose both parents are of Finnish background was seven percent.

According to the results of the School Health Promotion study, children and young people with a foreign background also demonstrate a number of important strengths. These include, for example, less frequent alcohol use and a more positive attitude towards school and studying.

“Eighty percent of children with a foreign background born abroad in grades 4–5 reported that they like studying. Among children whose both parents are of Finnish background, the corresponding proportion was 69 percent,” Castaneda said.

The School Health Promotion study is conducted nationwide every two years and produces comprehensive monitoring data on the health and well-being of children and young people.