Larger Ethnic Diversity Can Benefit Students

September 16, 2013

High schools that have large, rather than small or moderate, amounts of ethnic diversity can have positive effects on students' peer experiences. UW-Madison education professor Amy Bellmore found that, in schools where many ethnic groups are represented, and no single group holds the majority, adolescents feel safer and less victimized by peers. They report lower levels of loneliness and social anxiety, and sometimes adapt better when victimized by their peers. More about Bellmore's research is available here.