Representative image / Image- Pixabay

The Sikh Coalition, the largest Sikh civil rights organization in the United States has found that Sikh students face alarmingly high rates of bullying in schools across the country.

The organization in its latest report: "Where Are You Really From?" A National Sikh School Climate Report, has highlighted  bullying and related challenges encountered by Sikh students, expanding upon its 2014 report titled "Go Home, Terrorist."

The survey based on input from over 2,000 Sikh students in the United States aged 9 to 18 found 78 percent of students reported encountering behavior that meets the criteria for bullying. However, only 49 percent explicitly stated that they were bullied.

Notably, Sikh male students who wore religious head coverings, such as dastaars or patkas, are significantly prone to bullying.  77 percent of Sikh male students with these coverings reported experiencing bullying at least once. 

Alarmingly, the data revealed students often face bullying and discrimination from school staff members. 11 percent of Sikh students reported experiencing bullying or discrimination from the very adults entrusted with their education and well-being.

The report highlighted that Sikh students possess some understanding of how to report bullying incidents, but frequently encounter inaction upon doing so. Despite 74 percent indicating they are aware of the reporting procedures at their schools, a significant portion—46 percent—admitted to "never" or "almost never" utilizing them.

According to the report, the reluctance may stem from the fact that almost 63 percent of students said that teachers or staff "almost never" or "never" intervene when bullying occurs in their presence.

Through thorough analysis of this survey data, the Sikh Coalition, in collaboration with its academic partners based in California—research partner Kavita Kaur Atwal and research consultant Erin Knight—aimed to gain a comprehensive understanding of the current school climate for Sikh youth nationwide.

“Our findings in Where Are You Really From? validate years of our work alongside Sikh students, parents, and community members across the nation,” said Rucha Kaur, Sikh Coalition’s community development director and principal author of the report. 

“We know that our youth experience bullying; now, we have the data to show the depth of the problem—and to back up a wide range of solutions to make our schools safer and more inclusive for all students. With this report as our latest tool, we will continue to fight for Sikh students to feel safe and seen in their educational environments,” Kaur added.

In light of the findings, the organization has also made recommendations for federal and state officials, school administrators, and educators. The 60+ recommendations include— requiring school districts to adopt codes of conduct that specifically prohibit religious harassment and Training all student-facing school staff on recognizing and addressing school bullying, bias-based bullying,