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Running Head: REFUGEE STUDENTS

Stress and Social Anxiety in Refugee Students
Courtney Bear (103532688)
Mackenzie Tourigny-Conroy (103612755)
University of Windsor
Differentiated Instruction for Students with Special Needs
Assignment 2: Research Paper
Instructor: Dr. Elizabeth Starr
05-50-204 Section 20
February 16, 2016

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Introduction
The world today is rife with violence and war that prevents people from feeling safe in
their home countries. This violence and war has lead to a surplus of families fleeing those
countries and seeking asylum for a new life in countries such as Canada and the United

States. These families come to their new countries facing a multitude of challenges with little to
no knowledge of the language, the surroundings, or the heritage.
It is important to understand exactly what a refugee is and how they differ from
immigrants. Immigrants are people who have chosen to settle in a new country (Council for
Canadian Refugees, 2016). The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees defines a
refugee as:
a person who has fled his/her country of nationality (or habitual residence) and who is
unable or unwilling to return to that country because of a well-founded fear of
persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a
particular social group. (as cited in Szente, Hoot & Taylor, 2006 p. 15).
Recently Windsor and Essex County has experienced an influx of Syrian refugee families
with children who are entering the school system. According to the Windsor Star (2016) the
Greater Essex County District School board has assessed 49 Syrian refugee students since
January 4 while the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board has seen 15. These children
as well as their teachers face challenges regarding their integration into the Canadian school
system.
Prior to their arrival in Windsor-Essex many of these families lived in refugee camps
while waiting for resettlement. Educational opportunities may have existed in some camps while
other lacked even the basic necessities for sustaining life (Robertson & Breiseth, 2014). Mental
health issues are an area of concerns for these refugees (National Association of School
Psychologists [NASP], 2015; Roberston & Breiseth, 2014). Many of the children and youth

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have been traumatized by their experiences of war and resettlement (NASP, 2015) and may
suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Robertson & Breiseth, 2014).
PTSD is a response to severe or extreme psychological trauma. Signs and symptoms of
PTSD include: inability to get along with others, paranoia, persistent intense fear, anxiety,
agitation and difficulty in concentration (Robertson & Breiseth, 2014). While not all students
will suffer from PTSD many will suffer from some form of anxiety and stress (NASP, 2015).
Refugee students may also suffer from social isolation as well as become victims of bullying

(Weeks, Phelan, Macfarlane, Pinson & Francis, 2011). As teachers it is important to understand
how to deal with students who have PTSD, stress, and anxiety as these may affect the childs
ability to succeed in their new school. These students are usually not the type to seek help or
counselling so its the teachers duty to find ways to help them with their coping mechanisms
and their social integration (Szente, et al., 2006).
The purpose of this paper is to explore the adjustment of refugee students into a Canadian
classroom. The paper will focus on the stress and social anxiety faced by refugee students and
how it can impede their functioning and achievement in school. A number of possible
interventions will be presented to assist these refugee students to successfully integrate into a
Canadian classroom and enjoy success in their studies.
Stress and Social Anxiety
Refugee students are common phenomena in our school systems and will continue to
become the norm. Canada is expected to welcome 25,000 refugee families by the end of 2016
and 250 refugees have already settled in Windsor since December 2015 (City of Windsor, 2016).
This is an exciting yet challenging time for these families and educators.

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As previously stated refugees come to new countries because of the fearful and
potentially life threatening situations they face in their home countries (McBrien, 2005). These
families flee their homeland to live for many months if not years in refugee camps (Naidoo,
2013). Living conditions in these camps can be suboptimal with no educational opportunities for
the children and youth (Robertson & Breiseth, 2014). They may also have had limited formal
education because of the inability to attend school due to war which can impact their learning
when they enter the school system (Robertson & Breiseth, 2014). Upon arrival in Canada these
children are placed in classrooms based on their age not their actual academic level thereby
increasing the stress for both the teacher and the student (Naidoo, 2013).
Another source of stress for these youth is the lack of understanding of the English
language. This gap in language creates difficulties as the student struggles and is unprepared to
participate in school (Mc Brien, 2005; NASP, 2015). Difficulty in developing language skills is
linked to poor adaptation to the new environment (Ernest, Housen & Gillieatt, 2007). Once the
refugee student does acquire a knowledge of the English language, they are often bullied by
others because of their accents (Mthethwa-Sommers & Kisiara, 2015).
Refugee children and youth have witnessed unimaginable horrors of war. They may have
been exposed to extreme violence, torture, sexual abuse and detention (NASP, 2015). These
children are victims of traumatic stress as they may have witnessed mutilating injuries and/or
death of family members or friends (Pynoos, Steinberg & Piacentini, 1999). As noted earlier, the
extreme form of the stress can manifest itself as PTSD. While not all will suffer from PTSD,
many will suffer from anxiety and psychological stress related to their experiences. As teachers,
it is important to understand the effects that trauma and PTSD have on their ability to function in
school (NASP, 2015). In the school setting stress may be visible in refugee children as the

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inability to concentrate, difficulty with memory and behavioural issues such as aggression and
inability to get along with others (NASP, 2015; Robertson & Breiseth, 2014). The trauma
experienced by these children may also lead them to be distrustful of authority figures including
teachers (McBrien, 2005).
Another major source of stress for refugee children is acculturation. Acculturation is the
adaptation to a new culture (Ernest, et al., 2007). These children are coming to a foreign country
where they are now outsiders. Everything is different for them. They do not understand the
social norms of their new society and now have to make significant adjustments just to fit in
which can lead to them feeling isolated and depressed (NASP, 2015; McBrien 2005). They are
unfamiliar with the Canadian school system which may further lead to social isolation.
Bullying is a challenge for refugee children and youth potentially leading to social
anxiety. Social anxiety is the fear of being judged by others and can lead to the missed school
days (WebMD, n.d.). Two researchers conducted a qualitative study with 12 students from three
different urban high schools in upstate New York. The purpose of the study was to examine how
students from refugee backgrounds cope with victimization and bullying (Mthethwa-Sommers &
Kisiara, 2015). Their data collection method was two in-depth focused group discussions.
Participants were ages 15 and 19 and were in grades 10 to 12, all were Muslim. Of the twelve
seven were female and the remaining 5 were males. The findings will be discussed further
below however all reported being victims of some form of bullying.
The students described various types of bullying with the majority be verbal harassment
with minimal physical bullying and no cyberbullying. Those interviewed reported bullying on
the basis of race and ethnicity as a common occurrence. The participants were not accustomed
to dealing with bullying due to race as their home countries were monoracial (Mthethwa-

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Sommers & Kisiara, 2015). Participants also reported being bullied because of their accents and
limited English language skills. One student reported that she was laughed at by the students and
her teacher while giving a presentation (Mthethwa-Sommers & Kisiara, 2015). The participants
also noted they were made to feel stupid because of their lack of English language skills. The
girls reported religion based bullying because of their headscarves. Sadly, one girl reported
being considered a terrorist by her classmates because of her headscarf (Mthethwa-Sommers &
Kisiara, 2015). Remarkably, none of the males reported religious bullying.
The students incorporated a variety of methods to cope with the bullying. One method is
to push-back by responding to the bully verbally although a few of the males actually used
physical force. Another coping method is the dignity preservation model. In this model the
victim hides their true emotions in front of the bully. One participant noted she remained stoic in
front of the bully but then would go to the bathroom to cry (Mthethwa-Sommers & Kisiara,
2015). A sad method of coping, or lack of coping, is the self-punishment model. In this model
the victim engages in physician harm such as cutting in the hopes that the physical pain will ease
the emotional pain. One female participant admitted to taking pills and cutting herself because
the bullying was unbearable (Mthethwa-Sommers & Kisiara, 2015). One quasi-adaptive method
of coping with bullying is the external validation model. In this method participants made friends
with American born students and noticed a reduction in the amount of bullying. One participant
noted that her American friends would stand up to the bully for her. Others noted a reduction in
bullying when they reached out to teachers who then confront the bully for them (MthethwaSommers & Kisiara, 2015).
While the coping strategies employed by the students in this study may have limited the
bullying it did not stop it entirely. Teachers play an important role in the mitigation of bullying

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against refugee students. Many of these students were already victimized in their home
countries, school needs to be a place where students need to feel valued and accepted
(Mthethwa-Sommers & Kisiara, 2015). One method to eliminate victimization and bullying,
which will be discussed further under educational interventions, is the development of inclusive
classrooms (. Mthethwa-Sommers & Kisiara, 2015).
Educational Interventions
As refugee students become more prevalent in the school systems teachers need to be

prepared with different educational interventions to support them. Educational interventions are
strategies that teachers can employ to help make academic situations less stressful for these
refugee students. Teachers need to be as prepared as possible to allow for a smooth transition
into the school systems for these refugee students. The educational interventions outlined in this
paper will be creating a positive and inclusive classroom environment, as well as, peer mentor
programs both within the classroom and within the school.
The environment presented in a classroom will influence how well the students learn and
what they accomplish. All teachers should strive to create a positive classroom environment that
is inclusive to all students whether or not refugees are present. A positive classroom
environment is a place where students feel safe and respected. Students will not learn or partake
in classroom activities if they do not feel safe (Dusenbury, 2012). When students feel respected
and valued they are more willing to learn and achieve success (Alexandrowicz, n.d.). Educators
will be able to teach effectively in these environments and the students will receive a better
education as well as excel.
Inclusive classrooms go hand in hand with positive classroom environments. Inclusive
classrooms are classrooms that employ strategies that engage all students by focusing on

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different cultural backgrounds, learning styles, and the different abilities of students in the
classroom (Cornell University Center for Teaching Excellence [CTE], 2016). Through
increasing diversity and cultural awareness in the classroom, students will gain a sense of
motivation and self efficacy with their school performance (Hebl & Ruggs, 2012). When
educators teach in an inclusive manner, students will feel as if their voices are being heard and
that they can express themselves instead of checking their cultures and differences at the door
(CTE, 2016).
Educators can use a variety of methods to employ a safe and inclusive classroom. It is
common for countries that accept refugees to inform their citizens when a large number may be
coming into the country. Educators can use this information to determine the chances of them
receiving a refugee student in their classroom and start to prepare their current students. To help
with inclusion and welcoming these refugee students, teachers can use different methods to teach
their current students about refugee children and the experiences they may have (Szente, et al.,
2006). Preparing the students with information about refugees will help to create a more
welcoming environment when they do arrive (Alexandrowicz, n.d.). This will also allow other
students to empathize with the refugee students prior to arrival in hopes of preventing any
possible bullying and social anxiety. Educators can also prepare the physical classroom before
the refugee students arrive. Teachers can arrange the classroom in a way that is inviting,
organized, and encourages students to strive to learn (Dusenbury, 2012) and they can decorate
the room to represent all cultures (Alexandrowicz, n.d.).
Creating inclusive and positive classroom environments does not stop at just preparing
current students. Strategies for when refugee students arrive and when they are part of the
classroom community need to be employed as well. Teachers can teach inclusively by

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connecting with the refugee students as soon as they enter the classroom and learn about them
(CTE, 2016). These students will feel more welcomed and have less anxiety if they feel a part of
the classroom instead of an outcast. Educators can also get the refugee students involved in their
own learning from the beginning by including their culture in the curriculum and encouraging
the refugee students to teach the current students about their home countries (Alexandrowicz,
n.d.). Allowing these students to feel comfortable and embrace their culture and language is
critical for their transition and acculturation (Alexandrowicz, n.d.). Being culturally diverse in
material and learning will allow for every student's voice to be heard and for students to gain
more insight into the lives of all students.
Another intervention that will aid in reducing stress and anxiety in refugee students is
introducing a mentoring program into the classroom. Researchers conducted a qualitative study
in Sydney, Australia, with tutors, school coordinators, and refugee students over a three year
period. The purpose of the study was to determine if a program called classroom connect was
effective at meeting the needs of members involved (Weekes et al., 2011). The Classroom
Connect project connects refugee students with peer mentors in the school setting, who work
one-on-one with them as tutors (Weekes et al., 2011). The mentors in this setting are retired
teachers and they worked approximately once a week with the students (Weekes et al.,
2011). For the first two years of the study the data was collected through the use of interviews
with the mentors, students involved, and school coordinators; the last year of data was collected
through a survey given to both the school coordinators and the mentors (Weekes et al., 2011).
The refugee students in this study had help from the mentors during class time or in small
focus groups. These mentors would aid in rewording questions to allow for easier
understanding, help the students complete homework and other classroom activities (Weekes et

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al., 2011). The refugee students benefited greatly from the help and support of the mentors when
dealing with difficult subject matters (Weekes et al., 2011). The students gained a better grasp of
academic curriculum and had an increase in confidence and self-esteem, reducing risky
behaviour, and decreasing anxiety (Weekes et al., 2011).
This study demonstrated that the use of mentors was extremely beneficial in assisting the
refugee students. Educators may not have the resources to obtain outside mentors in the
classroom and alternatives to this style of intervention would need to be used. An alternative to
using outside or adult mentors would be the introduction of peer mentors into the classroom. A
peer mentoring and paired learning experience can be implemented in any classroom setting by
pairing up the refugee students with the stronger students in the class. This will allow social
relations to be developed between the refugee student and other peers and it would set up a
learning partner to help teach the material. Peer mentors have been seen to be highly effective in
engaging learning and academic achievement in refugee students even when English is not
known (Szente, et al., 2006). Teachers can pair the refugee students with a variety of different
buddies, or peer mentors, to allow for the students to make friends and learn material but it is
important to note that the buddies are not meant to be translators for the students but more a
support system (Alexandrowicz, n.d.).
The use of peer mentors will help to decrease the stress and social anxiety refugee
students, while also helping to aid in the creation of a positive and inclusive classroom
environment. The peer mentors will be given a chance to help the refugee students while getting
to learn about their culture and lives. These types of systems have been seen to be highly
effective at keeping refugee students caught up with school material and engaged in their own
academic learning (Weekes et al., 2011).

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Conclusion
Refugee students are more than capable of succeeding in mainstream school

environments with the right help and support from peers and educators. Educators need to stay
up to date on the needs and barriers of these students, the stress and social anxiety they face, and
the different educational interventions, such as positive classrooms and peer-mentors, they can
employ to help refugee students succeed. It is stated that students with interrupted formal
education are not less intelligent than other students their age, and they do not need special
education referrals to address these issues, (Roberston & Breiseth, 2014 p.5). Even though they
face many challenges in life, refugee students have great resilience, capability, and motivation to
learn and be successful they just need the proper settings to do so (Weekes et al., 2011). As
educators it is our job to create these settings for these refugee students and all of our other
students.

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References

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Diego. Retrieved from https://www.sandiego.edu/esl/teaching/positiveenvironments.htm
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Cornell University Center for Teaching Excellence (2016). Inclusive teaching strategies
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