Ethnic diversity and trust in childhood and early adolescence: evidence from Dutch schools

This study examines whether native–immigrant trust differences emerge early in life and how local ethnic diversity relates to the trust of children and adolescents. Using classroom survey data from seven Dutch schools that include a three-point trust measure matched to postcode-level diversity, ordered-probit estimates show that native Dutch students report higher trust than peers of Western or non-Western origin, while greater local diversity is associated with lower trust across all groups. Cross-ethnic friendship indicators are unrelated to trust. Results are robust to alternative specifications, including ordered-logit and school-level estimations. The findings suggest that the well-documented trust gaps and diversity effects observed among adults already manifest during childhood.