Feelings of Safety and Belonging in High School for Asian American Students

ABSTRACT

This study examines the experiences of school bullying and racism among Asian American Pacific Islander (henceforth AAPI) high school students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Asian students who report being bullied at school or online are more likely to report depression and poor mental health outcomes. Perceived racism is also associated with a higher risk of depression. Among Asian students, females and LGB Asian students are more likely to report adverse mental health outcomes, which suggests they may be particularly vulnerable populations. Finally, our findings suggest that increased social support may act as a buffer against adverse mental health outcomes.

KEYWORDS:

• Asian American
• bullying
• high school
• school safety
• race/Ethnicity
• mental health

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hannah Tessler

Hannah Tessler is a PhD Candidate at Yale University.

Meera Choi

Meera Choi is a PhD Candidate at Yale University.

Grace Kao

Grace Kao is the IBM Professor of Sociology at Yale University.