Bullying at school is getting worse for California students who are Muslim, according to a new study by the Council on American Islamic Relations, or CAIR.
The group's annual survey of more than 1,000 students ages 11 to 18 shows the kids feel less safe in public schools.
More than half report being made fun of or abused for being Muslim, 26 percent claim they were cyberbullied and more than a third of Muslim girls say their Islamic head scarves, or hijabs, were tugged or offensively touched, the study shows.
"My daughter had multiple incidents at her public high school last year as a freshman," parent Noshaba Afzal said. "She's a young woman who choses to wear hijab." Afzal said her older daughter didn't wear the scarf when she went to the same school, and she had no problems.
The family was most disturbed that a teacher reacted negatively to the younger daughter's scarf, prompting the family to seek resolution with the district superintendent.
CAIR is calling on public schools to implement more studies of different cultures, so all students feel more included.
