AbstractsPsychology

Migration affects children in a variety of ways and can be both a positive and a negative experience; it is a complex process with obstacles and opportunities, which influences children’s development. This thesis is a literature review regarding migrant children and the issues that shape their settlement experiences in host countries and the impact of migration on children’s lives. The migration experience affects children’s academic performance, children’s social integration and emotional wellbeing. Research shows that migrant children face a broad range of different educational needs and that parental involvement influences children´s academic achievement as well as language proficiency. Migrant children come from different backgrounds, which might create challenges in the educational system. The circumstances surrounding the migration play a very important role in the emotional wellbeing of the child as for instance the way that children identify themselves within a community. Furthermore, there are a variety of factors that influence the psychological wellbeing and self-esteem of migrant children. Some of those factors are the age of the migrant child when the migration occurs; the adaptation process is easier for younger children. Another factor that affects migrant children and their experience of migration is the general attitude towards migrants in the host country and the strategies offered by the government regarding migrant children adaptation experiences.