Faith targeted bullying
Children of faith may be a target of bullying behaviour. It may include:
- prejudicial comments and name-calling (e.g. Islamophobic or Antisemitic comments)
- physical abuse
- manipulation
- coercion
- social exclusion
Faith targeted bullying can happen face to face and/or online. Children can experience bullying from other children and from adults. While schools must take action to prevent all forms of bullying behaviour, children with protected characteristics (which includes faith) have additional protections under the Equality Act 2010.
It’s important to note that although children may be targeted for their faith, research shows that faith is also a significant resilience factor in supporting children to handle difficult relationships and experiences.
What to do if your child experiences bullying
In school
The school has a legal duty to prevent all forms of bullying, and under the Equality Act 2010 must prevent all forms of harassment targeting faith. For more information see ‘Help with Bullying in School’. In some instances, the bullying behaviour may also constitute a crime and you can contact the police on 101 in a non-emergency, or 999 in an emergency.
Online
The majority of social media platforms have an acceptable use policy, and you can report incidents. If the perpetrators are from your child’s school, the school should take action to address their behaviour. In some instances, the bullying behaviour, whether face to face and/or online, may also constitute a crime and you can contact the police on 101 in a non-emergency, or 999 in an emergency.
In the community
The local authority has a duty to keep your child safe from harm. If you are worried about the safety of your child, contact your local children’s services team. In some instances, the bullying behaviour may also constitute a crime and you can contact the police on 101 in a non-emergency, or 999 in an emergency.
Additional information and support
Kidscape and Muslim Mind Collaborative have put together a poster on Islamophobic bullying. You can see the poster here.
Organisations
Equality Advisory and Support Service
Hate crime
ZAP workshops for children impacted by bullying (available online and in the community)
ZAP workshops bring together children facing a similar situation and teach a range of tools to increase assertiveness, build confidence and help manage bullying situations.
Online Safety and Cyberbullying Awareness
Understand the potential risks associated with keeping young people safe online.