The Role of School Diversity on Religious and Ethno-Racial Identity-Based Peer Victimization

About one in four U.S. high school students experience peer bullying victimization. Although discrimination based on socially stigmatized identities is increasing, there are few studies examining ethno-racial and religion-identity-based bullying (IBB), or whether school diversity or rural-urban settings modify such bullying experiences. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the 2016, 2019 and 2022 Minnesota Student Surveys of eighth and ninth graders. We assessed the associations of bullying victimization due to race/ethnicity/national origin and religion with school ethno-racial diversity, and geographical location by ethno-racial group using multilevel multivariate logistic regression models with random intercepts for schools. Overall, rates of ethno-racial and religious- based bullying were highest in rural (23.7%) and suburban (21.8%) schools. Ethno-racial-based bullying was higher among Black (44.2%), Black Latine (43.8%) and Hmong (40.4%) students in rural areas. Religion-based bullying was most prevalent in rural (10.1%) and urban schools (9.6%) and among Somali students across all locales (21.7% urban, 25.2% suburban and 28.4% town/rural). School ethno-racial diversity was protective against ethno-racial IBB only and for some groups (Black, Asian, multiracial) and not others (e.g., American Indian Alaskan Native, Somali, white). We found differences in the percentage of students reporting IBB by ethno-racial group, school diversity, and school geographic location. Generally, diverse school contexts were associated with a decrease in ethno-racial IBB for most students, especially in suburban schools. It is important to account for subgroup differences in addressing IBB to identify protective contexts. Our findings point to the need for systemic efforts to facilitate positive interpersonal relations in schools, such as policies and training that support teachers as role models and agents of socialization.