Safety Issues in Young Chinese Overseas Students: A Canadian Case Study

Abstract

China has the largest number of international students in the world, accounting for 25% of all international students. Canada is one of the four major destination countries where Chinese parents send their children for education. According to the China Counsel General, the number of Chinese overseas students in BC was 50,000 in 2017. With the increasing numbers of Chinese overseas students, serious incidents involving the students have also increased. More than 31 deaths of overseas students have occurred around the world in the last year. Among them, Yu Lin Hai died by suicide in Richmond, BC in 2017. Safety has now become a salient issue among Chinese overseas students. The purpose of this study is to investigate the case of Yu, a 17-year-old student, in the context of international student safety. As part of the case study design, seven interviews were conducted with field observations. Newspaper reports were collected and the analysis of data and interpretations were co-created with the participants. The discussion included potential psycho-socio-cultural influences. Ultimately, the question is: Was Yu’s death a suicide or a murder? Recommendations are made for overseas students to carefully weigh their decision-making, overseas preparations, prior knowledge and coping skills; safety education; and consider possible culture shock and cultural adjustments. The rapid response to incidents, and support from the government, school, community, and family also need to be considered.