Religion and belief-related harassment in secondary schools

This project will explore pupils’ knowledge, attitudes, and experiences of religion and belief-related harassment in England’s secondary schools.   

Why is this important?

Global events have fuelled rising antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred. This can be seen in Home Office data, which showed a 25% increase in religiously motivated hate crimes in 2023-24, and another 3% increase in 2024-2025. 

Schools are an important context to understand because we know that bullying and victimisation negatively affect wellbeing, attendance, and academic performance. However, although religion is central to many young people’s identity, it is largely overlooked within the research literature. So, there is a lack of evidence on the prevalence, mechanisms, and consequences of religion and belief-related harassment in UK secondary education. 

What does it involve?

The research team will address this gap by answering the following questions:  

1. What are secondary school students’ knowledge, attitudes, and experiences in relation to religion and belief-related harassment? 

2. How do students’ attitudes, knowledge, and experiences differ by school characteristics and personal demographics, including ethnicity and gender? 

3. What are the key influences on students’ attitudes, knowledge, and experiences in relation to religion and belief-related harassment – for example, media, social media, religious communities, friends, family, and the school environment? 

4. How, if at all, does religion and belief-related harassment influence students’ educational outcomes? 

5. How can schools, religious, and educational organisations respond appropriately to religion and belief-related harassment, and better promote inclusion and belonging?  

The research will involve: 

• Interviews with national and local stakeholders to map perceptions and responses to religion-related harassment.   

• Qualitative case studies in eight schools across four regions, including teacher interviews and arts-based pupil discussions.   

• A national survey of pupils aged 14–18 to analyse harassment prevalence and its influence on educational outcomes.   

How will it make a difference?

The research team will work with the Anti-Bullying Alliance and the Religious Education Council to ensure dissemination across key networks. Findings will be directly shared with stakeholders, including school safeguarding and pastoral leaders, religious education professionals, and policymakers. Outputs and activities will include: a toolkit on religion and belief-related bullying; updated Religious Education teaching resources; practitioner-focused webinars; and parliamentary focused reports.