Understanding Islamophobia through the eyes of American Muslim children: Religious bullying and school social work interventions

Abstract

AbstractIslamophobia and related incidents of hate‐crimes, religious discrimination and profiling are increasingly being researched to have adverse effects on Muslim adults and children alike. Rising episodes of anti‐Muslim religious bullying are being reported from schools, classrooms and playgrounds across the globe and, hence, need to be accounted for, recognized and mitigated. This study uses child‐participatory research methodology to understand experiences of American Muslim children regarding Islamophobia. It was conducted with 26 children participants (N = 26) studying in Grades 5–8, at an Islamic School in the United States. Drawings and semi‐structured focus group discussions were used for data collection. Findings revealed that Islamophobia should be characterized through a unique child‐centric lens, to recognize how it affects the lives of Muslim children. Narratives and silences of female participants highlighted how gendered Islamophobia has become so common for young Muslim girls that it has become ‘invisible.’ It was seen that children's perception of Islamophobia often becomes a projection of parental influences. Participants put forward resilience techniques, which pave ways for social work interventions with Muslim children. The study ends with a school social work model directed towards prevention and reduction of Islamophobia, which educators, schools and social workers can implement.