Muslim students in California schools report being bullied and discriminated against at significantly higher rates than their peers, according to a study released Friday by the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
The report is based on a 2014 statewide survey of more than 600 Muslim American students ages 11-18, who described incidents of discomfort in the classroom, cyberbullying, negative reactions to wearing a hijab and to religious-accommodation requests, negativity from teachers and increased scrutiny after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The organization administered the survey to raise awareness of the challenges young Muslims face in the United States.
Among the survey results:
- About 55% of the Muslim students surveyed said they’ve been bullied or discriminated against, twice the number of students nationally who reported being bullied.
- About 29% of students who wear hijabs said they experienced offensive touching or pulling of their hijab.
- About 20% of students said they experienced discrimination by a school staff member.
- An estimated 76% of respondents said they felt comfortable participating in discussions about
- Islam or countries where Muslims live, down 4% from the organization’s 2012 survey.
“Your existence is always interrogated, investigated and questioned,” said one student in the report.
Link to Full Report: https://ca.cair.com/sfba/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/CAIR-CA-2015-Bullying-Report-Web.pdf
