Presentation on the Needs of American Muslim Adolescents presented at the Adolescent Networking Conference in April 2017

1. The Needs of
American Muslim
Youth
By: Reem Suqi MSW, LSW

2. The Importance of Adolescence
● Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development: each stage represents a
crisis with favorable and unfavorable outcomes
● The crisis in adolescence is Identity vs. confusion where young people
focus on forming their identities and independence.

5. Muslims in America
The Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) Conducted the
“American Muslim Poll 2017” and found that “Muslims disproportionately feel
the negative effect of the current political climate”

9. American Muslim Youth
Muslim Adolescents and emerging adults are the largest segment of Muslim Communities
in Western nations (Open Society Institute (OSI), 2005; Zogby, 2001).
American Muslim Youth are often scrutinized and experience pressures of Islamophobia
during an already challenging developmental period and may be at higher risk for
mental health issues and may present with symptoms that are embedded in a
sociocultural-religious context (Ahmed, S, 2011 Counseling Muslims: Handbook of
Mental Health Issues and Interventions. New York, NY: Routled

10. Puberty in Islam
Puberty is biological in nature however,
there are sociocultural and religious
implications in Islam
An individual becomes accountable for their
actions before God with the onset of
puberty, religious practices such as
prayer and fasting become obligatory
For Muslim women puberty is also
associated with wearing the headscarf

11. Sexual Development
Muslim youth in Western countries
experience media and peer pressure
that promote sexual exploration and
activity.
Islamic religious beliefs limit sexual activity
to one’s marital relationships. Despite
this prohibition Muslim adolescents
and emerging adults are engaging in
sexual activity
Parents may be unaware or in denial
about their child's sexual activity and
unable to address the issue in an
appropriate manner.

12. Identity Development Among Muslim
AdolescentsIdentity development is a major developmental task
in adolescence
Parents may perceive the process of separation as a
rejection of values, especially immigrant parents
who come from collectivist cultures
Identity development is influenced by the young
person’s interaction with their environment. This
results in the formation of an ever changing, fluid
set of multiple social identities that may include
their religious/ethnic/racial/cultural/national and
gender identity

13. Muslim Adolescents Hyphenated
IdentitiesMuslim youth attempt to develop a cohesive identity by blending their varying identities. They
may choose to identify more with their religious identity given that Islam consists of general
principles that can be adapted to any culture.

14. Gender and Identity Development
Identity is influenced by gender; young Muslim women are subject to family and ethnic gender
norms. They may experience greater pressure than their male counterparts to maintain
ethnic dress, language and behaviors. Patriarchal or cultural interpretations of Islam may
result in different interpretations of the role of women in islam and lead to tension between
parents and their daughters and an aversion to islam and their ethnic culture.
Less is known about the impact of gender on the development of muslim men. Young Muslims
of African descent report experiencing the additional negative stereotype of being a “Black
Male.”
Lack of acceptance by society, traditionally minimal monitoring of males by parents and less
religious socialization compared to their female counterparts may result in greater numbers
of young men choosing to assimilate into society and abandon traditional religious and
cultural practices.

15. Spiritual Development
Young Muslims are engaging in a revivalist approach to Islam,
they may use this approach to assert their independence
from parents and reject cultural restrictions placed on
them.
Family and ethnic/religious community may encourage or
resist an increase in religious behavior depending on
social/political/and cultural contexts
Some young people may be propelled to explore their spiritual
beliefs in greater depths. For these people religion serves
as a positive force providing meaning and perspective.
Other young people have difficulty maintaining their values
and beliefs. They attribute this to peer and social
pressures.

16. Religious Identity

17. Risky Behaviors
Muslim youth, like their non-Muslim peers
engage in self injurious behaviors,
substance use and abuse, and criminal
activity.
This behavior may be due to
experimentation, rebellion, negative peer
pressure or underlying mental health
issues.

18. In the Context of Islam
In Islam suicide or harming one’s body is strictly
prohibited.
Substance use, including alcohol is also prohibited
and associated with social stigma.
Given the religious prohibition against these
behaviors the decision to engage in these
behaviors may be a sign of internal conflict.
Parents may not understand the extent that their
child is engaging in risky behaviors. This may be
due to their child’s refusal to share information,
denial, or lack of comprehension.

19. Family Setting

20. Muslim Families
Islam gives great importance to maintaining family ties
Many Muslims emerging into adulthood traditionally live
with their parents until they marry.
The process of renegotiating family relationships, rules,
and expectations resulting from developmental
transitions can be challenging for some families.
The concept of family for some Muslims extends beyond
the nuclear family and includes extended family
members.
This is a source of support and stress for many people.

21. Collective Identity
The group or family identity remains the focus
and the individual remains embedded in the
collective identity.
● Practitioners will come in contact with the
family and need to reconsider what
otherwise might be seen as: over
involvement, over protection, blatant
codependency, or enmeshment.
● Personal privacy within the family is virtually
nonexistent.
● During interviews, expect family members
to answer for the client.
● Involvement of nuclear and extended
families is beneficial to gaining trust.

22. Muslim Families
Indigenous families/nonimmigrant racial
groups:
Intersectionality, being Black/Hispanic/etc and
Muslim
Convert families face certain struggles usually
based on the age of the child when the parent
converted and if the child was raised in a
different faith tradition.
Families where one parent is Muslim and the
other is not may experience tension,
especially in the religious upbringing of the
child. If the parents disagree this could
negatively impact parent-child relationships.
Immigrant families:
Parents struggle with adjusting cultural
expectations
Fear children will engage in religious or
culturally prohibited behaviors, limit
children’s interactions
Can result in children distancing
themselves from parents, rebelling,
internalizing anger and withholding
information or misinforming parents
about their activities
Refugee families of subset of this category
and face additional stressors due to
forced migratory experience

23. Community Settings

24. Educational Institutions
Educational institutions can serve as socializing agents where muslim
youth can experience feelings of belonging
Depending on factors such as socioeconomic status, neighborhood,
and school culture students may experience bullying, lack of
teacher expectation for success or lack of inclusion and
engagement
Negative teacher attitudes, like assuming female students who wear a
headscarf are oppressed, can impact development
Disparaging remarks by teachers about student’s religious beliefs and
practices may be common for some young Muslims.
Teachers may present the current geopolitical situation as a ‘clash of
civilizations’ creating an ‘us vs. them’ mentality with the Muslims
being the ‘other’

25. Neighborhood/Geographic location
The neighborhood Muslim youth live in can have a positive or
negative impact on their identification with Islam
Remote or less populated settings provide greater opportunities for interfaith experiences and greater
willingness to rely on support services outside the Muslims community. Conversely, it may be
difficult for Muslim Youth to exert their religious and/or ethnic identity in these settings. They may
have less opportunity to interact with other Muslims, and share religious and cultural experiences
and fewer resources to increase their religious knowledge
In areas with large concentrations of Muslims young people may be more likely to identify with religion
and culture, have more religion enhancing activities and access to numerous Muslims peers for
socialization and identification.
Conversely, there is an increased pressure to conform to ethnic rather than religions standards. This can
limit acculturation and development for young Muslims who don’t identify with their ethnic or
religious culture.

26. Muslim & Ethnic Community
Muslim communities in western nations differ based on ethnic/cultural
homogeneity or heterogeneity, location (urban vs. rural), socioeconomic
condition of its members, level of acculturation and ideological perspective.
Culture vs. religion
Some young people and their families identify more with their ethnic community
and have minimal to no interaction with their religious community.
Adolescents and emerging adults may experience a lack of connection with
their religious and ethnic communities, this may be because of differences in
language, culture and worldview. Muslim communities can exert strong ethnix
pressure that can be constricting to young people.

27. Community Youth Groups
Community organizations may act as a protective factor
fostering social support and a sense of belonging for
Muslim youth. They can help negotiate their identity
and assist in the process of acculturating without
negating their religious and cultural identity
Not all young people will choose to participate in these
programs. In some cases they may not want to
identify with other Muslims because they do not
practice Islam or have negative experiences with
“religious” Muslims or may be having their own
identity struggles.

28. Muslim Youth in the Current Climate

29. The Media
A majority of Muslim youth in the US believe that
the media plays a critical role in influencing
people’s negative view of Islam
Many movies and sitcoms portray Muslims in a
negative light
This can increase levels of anxiety and stress for
young people and alienate them from society
Many express frustration over the generalized
blame and having to repeatedly take
responsibility for the actions of a few disturbed
individuals. Especially when the same
expectations are not made of individuals of

30. Racism and Discrimination
Approximately 70% of American Muslim Youth
report experiencing negative reactions due to
their religious beliefs and practices, which
likely contributes to feelings of alienation.
Real or perceived discrimination may be
associated with mental health symptoms.
Adolescents and emerging adults may
internalize these experiences and feel
excluded from society. These negative
experiences may lead to feelings of rejection
and isolation from society

31. Global Events and Political
EnvironmentGlobal events may heighten the awareness of one’s religious minority status and triggers
Muslim youth identity search at an earlier age than their peers
Being identified by fellow citizens as part of a threat is met with feelings of anger, fear,
frustration and feeling trapped. Many young Muslims often fear for their safety and
being attacked by strangers due to religious discrimination following global events
Global events create political opportunism that negatively impact Muslims. The political
discourse influences how members of society view Muslims.
In counties that have traditionally been multicultural and accepting of cultural differences,
Muslim youth are obserbed to better integrate into society.

32. Implications for Caseworkers
American Muslim adolescents, they’re just like other adolescents! Except for all
the factors highlighted throughout this presentation
When working with Muslim adolescents it’s important to assess your client and
see how important things like culture, religion and family are to them.
If Muslim adolescents are in placement make sure their religious/cultural needs
are accommodated.
When working with Muslim adolescents make sure you form a good rapport with
all members of the family.
What else?

33. Scenario #1
A family with 10 children ages 24-6 has been involved with DCP&P several times
for issues of neglect. The two oldest daughters in the family are addicted to heroin
and the oldest son uses marijuana to self medicate for his anxiety. The mother is
an Arab immigrant whose English is very limited and is overwhelmed by her
daughter’s drug problem and doesn’t fully understand it. There are 3 adolescents
in the house ages 17, 16 and 14. The mother is worried they will pick up ”bad
habits” from their older siblings and doesn’t know what to do or how to engage her
children. The adolescents seem friendly towards you but think their mother is old
fashioned and doesn’t know what she’s talking about. How do you engage these
adolescents and work with this family?

34. Scenario #2
You are called in to deal with a case involving a 16 year old girl with claims that
her father is abusing her. The father a daughter had a big argument that got
physical (he slapped his daughter) when the father found out she was dating a
boy. The daughter went to the school counselor the next day to complain to her
and the counselor reported the abuse. The daughter doesn’t understand why her
father reacted the way he did and is threatening to run away if he doesn’t let her
see her boyfriend anymore. How can you work with this daughter and father?

35. Resources
Organizations:
-Mental Health Association in Passaic County: Arab American Counseling
Services www.mhapassaic.org 973-478-4444
-WAFA House: www.wafahouse.org
-SMILE: www.smileforcharity.org
List of Muslim Therapists in NJ: http://www.haqqer.com/muslim-mental-health-
nynj.html

36. Resources (cont’d)
Online:
Journal of Muslim Mental Health: http://www.journalofmuslimmentalhealth.org/
Muslim Wellness Foundation: http://www.muslimwellness.com/
The Family and Youth Institute: http://www.thefyi.org/

37. Sources
- Huffington Post “Young American Muslims Conflicted About Their Identity Isn’t
Good for Anyone” March 23, 2017
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/58cbe50ce4b0e0d348b3424c
- Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) “American Muslim Poll
2017”
Ahmed, S. (2011). Adolescent and emerging adults. In S. Ahmed, & M. Amer
(Eds.) Counseling Muslims: Handbook of Mental Health Issues and
Interventions. New York, NY: Routledge.

38. Questions?
Contact info:
Reem Suqi
reemsuqi@gmail.
com