Methodology

Information for this study was collected through the anonymous Sikh Student Survey between February 1, 2023, and March 31, 2023. Students between the ages of 9 and 18 who attended school in the United States, identified as Sikh, and were proficient in English were eligible to participate. Sikh students completed an online or in-person survey and answered questions based on their experiences in school during the 2022-2023 academic year. Questions for the survey focused on their experiences with bullying (perceived and actual), microaggressions, their Sikh identity, their experiences with peers and school staff, their understanding of bullying reporting structures, and policies in their schools that allow them to practice and celebrate their faith. Participants also answered questions about the support they receive for issues around their religious identity as well as their mental health status. 

Participants for the in-person survey were primarily recruited through the Sikh Coalition’s relationships with gurdwaras and Khalsa schools. Sikh Coalition staff and trained volunteers administered the survey in 60 sites in 21 states via one-on-one outreach, tabling, emails, flyers, and announcements at gurdwaras. Special attention was given to ensure that gurdwaras in states with a comparatively smaller population of Sikhs were included in data collection efforts. Students who attend Khalsa schools completed surveys as part of their class activities in some cases (parents were able to opt their children out ahead of time). In addition, Sikh Coalition staff also attended events such as speech symposiums to recruit eligible participants. All students within the participating gurdwaras who met the study criteria were invited to participate. 

Typically, students attend Khalsa school through middle school, so to ensure a uniform representation of students of all ages eligible for the study, special attention was given to recruitment strategies for high school students. The Sikh Coalition leveraged communication channels such as email listservs and social media to do so; additionally, organizations who work with Sikh children and adolescents were contacted to ask if they could send the study recruitment materials through their communication channels (e.g. listservs, social media, etc.). Prominent Sikh influencers and experts were invited to discuss the importance of this initiative via Sikh Coalition’s Instagram Live sessions or to post about the Sikh Student Survey on their social media pages. 

Participants were given the opportunity to enter a raffle to win one of 100 gift cards for $25 each. Since a majority of participants were minors, passive consent was obtained from parents/guardians to maintain the highest degree of confidentiality, given the survey was anonymous. The research methodology adhered to ethical guidelines and received approval from the Institutional Review Board at Solutions IRB.

Sample

The final sample for this study consisted of 1,975 Sikh students between the ages of 9 and 18 who attend school in the United States. Students from 30 states plus Washington, DC, participated in the study and came from more than 700 school districts across the country. Just over half of the participants (54.5%) identified as male and 44.8% identified as female. Less than 1% of the respondents identified themselves as non-binary. Students between the ages of 11 and 14 made up half of the respondents (50%) while students ages 9 to 10 made up 27% and students ages 15 to 18 made up 23%.

We asked Sikh students about their practice of Sikhi in terms of the articles of faith they keep: the five kakaars (articles of faith), whether they keep their hair covered and if they are Amritdhari (initiated). A large majority of students responded that they keep their kesh (unshorn hair) (72.6%) and wear a kara (iron or steel bracelet) (84%), while over half (57%) reported that they cover their hair as part of their religious practice.

Limitations

The Sikh Student Survey was not able to recruit a large number of non-binary students (n=11). The research team made the difficult decision to exclude these responses from data analyses where groups were analyzed by gender because the group was too small for a reliable analysis. Their voices were, however, included in all analyses where gender was not a variable of analysis. This does not mean that the voices of non-binary and otherwise gender non-conforming Sikh students are not important. In fact, one of the recommendations that comes from this study is that additional research, both quantitative and qualitative data, is needed to better understand the intersectional experiences of Sikh non-binary students.