Bullying is a pervasive issue in schools, affecting students from various backgrounds. However, Muslim students often face unique challenges due to their faith and cultural identity.

Bullying against Muslim students is happening all across the United States. It is real, it is ugly, and it is happening way more often than you might think.

According to a 2022 survey by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding:

– 48% of Muslim families reported that their child had been bullied because of their faith.

– 20% of Muslim students experience bullying nearly every day.

Muslim students encounter various forms of bullying, including physical attacks, verbal threats, and social isolation. These experiences can leave them feeling threatened, frightened, and disconnected from their school community. Some common examples of bullying reported by Muslim students include:

Having their hijab pulled off without reason, being targeted with jokes and unfairly blamed, facing offensive questions about terrorism and bomb-making.

Bullying and racism have far-reaching effects on Muslim students such as:

– Emotional Impact: Anxiety, depression, insomnia, and low self-esteem are common consequences.

– Identity Struggle: Some students feel torn between being a citizen of their country and being Muslim.

– Cultural Disconnection: The feeling of a deep gap between the student and the society in which he lives.

In order to take action, we need to pay attention to the critical role of the educators. First, they should train to recognize the address biases. Then, they can raise the awareness about the contributions of Muslim Americans to dispel stereotypes. Providing moral lessons to educate students in terms of morality can be helpful as well.