CAIR California (CAIR-CA) has been conducting biennial surveys for the past ten years to evaluate the school climate for California Muslim students between ages 11-18 and to understand how Islamophobia manifests itself in our education system.
CAIR-CA’s surveys have shown that 40-50% of Muslim students have consistently reported being bullied over the past decade. In CAIR-CA’s most recent survey, nearly half of the Muslim students reported being bullied at school, and nearly half reported feeling unsafe, unwelcome, or uncomfortable at school because of their Muslim identity.
Furthermore, 25% of students reported that an adult at their school made offensive comments or acted in a way that was offensive to Islam/Muslims. Additionally, 34% of respondents reported that these experiences have a negative impact on their physical, mental, or emotional well-being. Unfortunately, these Muslim students must navigate a variety of other intersectional identities, such as their race, ethnicity, national origin, and gender, that impact the ways these students experience bullying in California schools
Unfortunately, these Muslim students must navigate a variety of other intersectional identities, such as their race, ethnicity, national origin, and gender, that impact the ways these students experience bullying in California schools.
CAIR-CA’s survey found that East Asian, Black/African, and North African/Middle Eastern students reported being bullied at a higher rate than other students. Female students also reported a greater incidence of bullying than their male counterparts and reported feeling unsafe or uncomfortable at school at nearly double the rate of male students.
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