Confronting Antisemitic Bullying in Schools: Steps Toward Understanding and Change

Bullying is...the repeated actions or threats of action directed toward a person by one or more people who have (or are perceived to have) more power or status than their target in order to cause fear, distress or harm. Bullying can include verbal actions like taunting, teasing and name-calling; social interactions such as exclusion and spreading rumors; and physical actions including hitting, pushing, or breaking or taking someone’s things.

• Unfortunately bullying is common in schools. According to the CDC’s 2024 Youth Violence Prevention study focused on bullying, 1 in 5 high school students report being bullied in school in the past year. That same CDC report shared that 28% of middle schools, 15% of high schools, and 10% of elementary schools reported the occurrence of bullying at school at least once a week.
• In addition, more than 58% of young people report experiencing cyberbullyingmore than 54% of young people over their lifetimes, which can take place during the school day, after school or when students go home.

There are a variety of ways that antisemitic bullying shows up in schools and targets Jewish students. Some examples include:

• Writing a swastika on a Jewish student’s notebook; taunting Jewish students with antisemitic remarks.
• Spewing insults by blaming Jewish students for the war in Gaza
• Targeting Jewish students using stereotypes, tropes and conspiracy theories
• Pulling off a Jewish student’s kippah
• Directing praise for Hitler or Holocaust “jokes” and concentration camp references toward Jewish students; and more.

Because our online lives often mirror our in-person realities, exclusion, harassment and attacks follow young people home and into their digital lives, making the bullying constant and perpetual—24/7. Because bullying behavior is repeated over and over and its threat is always looming, there is compounded and ongoing harm caused to those who are targeted.

As young people face antisemitic bullying and prolonged feelings of stress and fear, they will likely be impacted in harmful ways that can interfere with their daily well-being in school, at home and in their community. The negative impact on Jewish students experiencing antisemitic bullying can be emotional (e.g., pessimism, anxiety, depression), physical (e.g., fatigue, nightmares, headaches), behavioral (e.g., clinging, aggression, withdrawing) and academic (e.g., decreased engagement, school avoidance, lower grades).

Here are 5 steps that schools, educators, community youth programs and others who work with young people can take proactively to address and reduce antisemitic bullying:

1. Strengthen Policies and Procedures:

• Review policies and procedures regarding bullying, harassment and discrimination.
• Ensure all staff are aware of policies, procedures and their responsibilities.
• Because antisemitic bullying can often happen in the context of antisemitic school-based incidents, it is important to review policies and practices to empower educators and school administrators to strengthen school responses to school-based incidents.

2. Make Reporting Safe and Effective:

• Be approachable so students feel comfortable reporting bullying to you and/or other trusted adults, and take every report seriously.
• Research shows that fewer than 50% of bullied students tell a school adult. Building trust and following through on reports directly addresses this reluctance and fear that many students may feel.

3. Build Educator Knowledge and Confidence:

• Educators can only call out and address antisemitism if they are able to recognize it.
• Providing educators with knowledge and learning opportunities about antisemitism will allow you to better support Jewish students and to more confidently recognize, discuss and name antisemitism.

4. Empower Students to be Allies:

• Teach students the skills, knowledge and mindset to act as allies when they or their peers experience bullying.
• Educate students about antisemitism and antisemitic bullying in particular so that they are able to recognize and address it when it takes place.
• Since much bullying happens outside adult supervision and students are often hesitant to report it, peer allyship becomes a critical line of defense.

5. Deepen Understanding of Jewish Identity and Experience:

• You cannot address antisemitism without understanding what it means to be Jewish.
• Learn more, and teach students, about Jewish people, culture, identity and the Jewish experience in its full diversity and complexity.
• This kind of learning helps dispel misconceptions and stereotypes while increasing understanding and empathy, which can reduce antisemitism over time.