The California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA), along with the Center for the Prevention of Hate and Bullying (CPHB), today released its 2025 Bullying Report documenting faith-based bullying and discrimination of Muslim students in California Schools.
SEE: 2025 Bullying Report
To better understand how Islamophobia manifests itself in our education system, CAIR-CA and CPHB have conducted biennial statewide bullying surveys for 12 years. These surveys have shown that 40–55% of Muslim students ages 11–18 consistently report being bullied. This year’s bullying survey reached 1,802 students from 48 counties in California, providing one of the most comprehensive snapshots of Muslim students’ experiences to date.
The report reveals that half of Muslim students experience bullying at school from their peers due to their religious identity. Alarmingly, 67% of these students did not report their experiences to school staff because they felt undervalued, afraid, or faced unclear school reporting processes. Additionally, 43% of students surveyed reported missing school due to bullying, greatly exceeding the national average for absenteeism.
In a statement, CAIR-SFBA Civil Rights Attorney Bismah Jaffer said:
“Every two years, we ask Muslim students simple but urgent questions: How safe do you feel? How often are you targeted? Do you trust the systems meant to protect you—and what does that mean for your learning and well-being? This year’s statewide survey of 1,802 students, paired with their own words, shows a clear through-line: harm is frequent, it’s underreported, and it erodes trust in our schools. The takeaway is unmistakable—bullying isn’t just an incident problem, it’s a climate problem that demands systemic change.”
In a statement, CAIR-SFBA Civil Rights Coordinator Hibah H. said:
“Behind the numbers is a lived reality: Islamophobia is shaping how Muslim students learn, feel, and see themselves at school. It shows up in biased curricula, classroom practices that erase or misrepresent our communities, and systems that don’t earn students’ trust. The result is predictable—academic harm, mental health strain, and a deep loss of belonging. This isn’t a series of isolated incidents; it’s a climate problem born of unchecked hate and bias against Black, African, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian students. Schools must move from performative statements to structural change—training every adult, adopting culturally responsive curriculum, building trusted reporting systems with real accountability, and providing counseling that meets students where they are.”
If you or someone you know are the victim of a hate crime or incident, contact CAIR-SFBA’s Civil Rights department at 408.986.9874 or click here.
CAIR-CA is a chapter of CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil liberties, 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-SFBA Communications Manager Lorrie Adam, 408.498.5779, ladam@cair.com