Hidden Struggles: Uncovering Violence in Canadian Homestays for Chinese High School International Students

Background and Purpose: The recent decades have witnessed a growing efforts on large-scale international student recruitment initiatives by Canadian Kindergarten to Grade 12 (K12) public schools (Canadian Association of Public Schools - International, 2019). These international students have brought not only financial benefits to the schools but also the local communities in which they lived (Elnagar & Young, 2021). Even during the recent announcement of capping study permit number across Canada, high school students are not impacted (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, 2024), and thus continue to enter Canada and play a crucial role in sustaining the financial viability of school boards amidst declining government funding towards public education (McCartney, 2021). However, the welfare of these students, particularly those in homestay accommodations, is jeopardized by a lack of regulatory oversight, leading to their vulnerabilities being overlooked by mainstream English and French media (Quan et al., 2022). This study aims to uncover the forms of violence experienced by Chinese high school international students in Canadian homestays, highlighting the urgent need for attention and intervention.

Methods: This study employed a conventional content analysis of 437 social media posts in Chinese from mainstream Chinese-speaking social media platforms (i.e., Red, Weibo, and Zhihu). The data collection involved keyword searches and manual screening, selecting only the posts on experiences in Canada and those posted between January 1, 2018, and January 1, 2024, to capture the pre-, during, and post-pandemic periods. The search stopped once saturation was achieved. The analysis aimed to identify prevalent themes of violence in the homestay experiences of Chinese international students.

Results: The analysis revealed 7 significant forms of violence in homestays: (1) restrictions on students' movements within and outside the homestay environment; (2) physical and emotional neglects; (3) exploitation by guardian(s); (4) disregard for guardian responsibilities; (5) racism and discrimination; (6) illegal eviction; and (7) instruction to avoid contacting parents. These narratives by Chinese high school international students highlighted a disturbing pattern of violence within homestays, calling for immediate attention from government bodies, child welfare system, school boards and practitioners who work with this vulnerable population.

Conclusions and Implications: This study seeks to contribute to the discourse on international education, advocating for a more inclusive and protective approach to hosting international students in Canada. The insights from this research could inform the creation of safer and more supportive homestay environments. Implications from the study includes prompting provincial governments to establish clear policies and regulatory frameworks. Child welfare policies and practices should include international students' rights to protection as residents in Canada. Additionally, these findings can help school and social service professionals to better understand the challenges faced by these students, facilitating the provision of tailored support. Lastly, this research lays the groundwork for further exploration into how these adversities in homestays affect students’ overall well-being, advocating for a holistic support system tailored to address their unique circumstances.