The California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA), along with its Center for the Prevention of Hate and Bullying (CPHB), today recognized National Bullying Prevention Month by highlighting the ongoing prevalence and impact of bullying on Muslim students and offering informative resources to students and parents.
National Bullying Prevention Month takes place annually in October and serves as a time to educate and raise awareness about bullying. As part of the month-long observance, students and adults are encouraged to educate themselves on the impact of bullying and promote inclusivity.
CAIR-CA’s 2025 bullying report found that half of Muslim students surveyed in California expressed feeling a lack of safety, belonging, and emotional comfort at school. Of the students who experienced bullying, 67% did not report it to school staff members. When bullying goes unreported, students are at a significant risk of their academic achievement, mental well-being, and sense of belonging in school being impacted.
In a statement, CPHB Program Manager Bayanne Kanawati said:
“Bullying continues to be a prevalent issue affecting Muslim students in 2026, whether they’re in grade school or college. School administrators must immediately address instances of bullying to prevent a larger negative impact and foster safe school environments that promote the well-being of all children. We also strongly encourage parents and students to understand the protections available to them and urge students to speak up when incidents arise.”
CAIR-CA and CPHB continue to work with students, families, educators, and schools to address the growing threat of unreported bullying to student safety and well-being, and provides a number of resources:
- For educators and schools: CPHB offers a wide range of trainings tailored to a community or institution’s specific needs. Trainings range from building cultural competency, supporting Muslim students, and responding to hate and bias incidents.
- For parents: CPHB recently published a toolkit designed to help parents navigate the public school system, build relationships with their child’s school, advocate for their child, and understand what to do when concerns arise. The toolkit is currently available in English, Dari, and Pashto, and will soon be translated to Arabic. Additional resources include an email template for contacting school administrators about incidents and a guide to filing a Uniform Complaint Procedure, making the reporting and escalation process easier to navigate for parents.
- For students: Know Your Rights resources are available to grade school and college students outlining the various protections students have under law. CAIR offices also host in-person workshops to educate students on what bullying is and how to respond.
CAIR-CA and CPHB urge students, families, and educational institutions to report incidents when they happen, to not allow hate to go unnoticed, and to foster educational environments where all students feel safe, welcomed, and supported. Click here to report an incident to CAIR-CA’s Civil Rights department.
CAIR-CA is the California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
The Center for the Prevention of Hate and Bullying is a special project of CAIR-CA. The CPHB is dedicated to combating hate, bias, discrimination, and bigotry through training, advocacy, community partnerships, education, and research.
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CONTACT: CAIR Greater Los Angeles Area Communications Manager Enjy El-Kadi, (714) 851-4851 or [email protected]; CAIR Sacramento Valley/Central California Senior Operations & Development Manager Elle Dunlap, [email protected]; CAIR San Diego Executive Director Tazheen Nizam, (760) 201-7626 or [email protected]; CAIR San Francisco Bay Area Communications Manager Lorrie Adam, (408) 498-5779 or [email protected]