Impact of discrimination on health among adolescent immigrant minorities in Europe: The role of perceived discrimination by police and security personnel

Previous research has shown negative effects of discrimination on ethnic minority members’ health and well-being. In this study, we examined cross-sectional and longitudinal effects of discrimination by members of the police and security personnel over and above other types of discrimination and ethnic victimization on the health of immigrant minority students from three different European countries (N = 4,334 immigrant students from 580 ethnically mixed school classes in Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden). Results indicate that perceptions of ethnic victimization in the school (measured via social network data) as well as three types of discrimination outside school (discrimination in clubs, public transportation as well as by the police and private security) are associated with current and future negative health outcomes (i.e., psychosomatic problems) in immigrant minority students. Among the different types of discrimination, discrimination by the police and private security personnel was most common and had the most negative effect on immigrant minority students’ health. Practical and political implications of our findings as well as differences in discrimination and violence by the police between the US and Europe are discussed