One in every three foreign students experiences some form of bullying while at school, a study on the well-being of non-Maltese children has revealed.

Published this week, the study by University of Malta researchers and commissioned by the Children’s Commissioner, analysed the lives of foreign minors and their overall well-being.

Conducted over a period of two years, the research was carried out among 2,500 students who were both foreign and Maltese. They took part in four studies.

A series of interviews with children from various schools revealed that 33% of those interviewed experienced some form of bullying while in school. According to the data, the most common form of abuse was name calling, with almost 45% of students experiencing this type of bullying. The figure was only slightly lower for two other forms – hitting and being “left out” – with 33% experiencing this form of bullying.

One student, a 14-year-old boy, claimed he did not think school was “really safe”.

“Here you have to be very careful with people,” he told the researchers.

Another student, a 12-year-old girl, described how there were “a lot of bullies” at school, with both physical and psychological bullying being reported on a daily basis.

Though most students did not specify if they were victims of racial bullying, a small number did reveal to the researchers that they had experienced bullying because of their race, religion or the inability to speak Maltese or English fluently.

“They don’t let me play at school because I am Syrian,” a 12-year-old boy claimed.

According to the researchers, students also feared schools often take physical bullying more seriously than any other types. The children told the researchers they wanted their teachers to not only address physical bullying but other forms too.

“The school is quite harsh on physical fights but if someone says something to you, they don’t really mind it [sic],” a 15-year-old girl pointed out.

On fights between children at schools, the study showed these were more likely to be a problem in State schools, where almost 20% reported fights on “most days”. The figure went down to 11.8% at independent schools and even lower (9.1%) in Church schools.

On educational engagement and inclusion, the researchers found that students from low socio-economic status and who lacked proficiency in Maltese and English were less likely to be engaged or included.

Students from Africa or the Middle East, the researchers noted, appeared to be less cared for and were less open to learning new things and participate in classroom activities. These students also had less friends and were less likely to be included in social activities when compared to peers from other nationalities, the researchers went on to note.

The focus of the study was children aged up to 16 who are either born outside Malta or in Malta to non-Maltese parents (or one parent in the case of single parents) who are currently living in Malta.

All foreign children in Malta (and their teachers, parents or carers) who could be identified through schools, residential homes, centres and agencies, were invited to participate.

A representative sample of Maltese students in primary, middle and secondary schools, was also included in the study.