Targeted by Bullying : Silent Crises of Muslim Students

Muslim students experience bullying at nearly double the national rate. Between 27% and 50% of Muslim youth in K–12 report being targeted, compared to 19-20% nationally. In 25% of those cases, teachers are identified as the perpetrators. These are not isolated incidents. They reflect systemic attacks on identity and belonging. In this episode of WISE Women with Daisy Khan, Dr. Daisy Khan sits down with Dr. Nadia Ansary, professor and chair of the Department of Psychology at Rider University. Dr. Ansary earned her PhD in developmental psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University, and researches bias-based and cyberbullying with a focus on Islamophobia in schools. She explains how overwhelmingly negative media coverage shapes harmful narratives that children repeat in schools and online, and how the racialization of religion leads to targeting based on perceived identity. The episode also offers evidence-based solutions, including whole-school approaches, restorative justice, and real stories of student-led change. An episode for parents, educators, and community leaders seeking to understand the impact of bias and how to build school environments where belonging is protected. Listen now and share with anyone working to create safer, more inclusive spaces for young people. Connect with Dr. Daisy Khan: Websites: <p class='zw-list zw-paragraph heading0' data-header='0' data-textformat='{"ff":"Outfit","fv":"normal","td":"none","cs":"0pt","fw":"none","fgc":"rgb(0, 0, 0)","size":"12","va":"baseline","fw_i":400,"type":"text","fs":"normal","bgc":"rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)"}' data-margin-left='1in' data-text