Religiosity and Presence of Character Strengths in American Muslim Youth

Mental Health Help-Seeking Behaviors of Muslim Immigrants in the United States: Overcoming Social Stigma and Cultural Mistrust

“…The youth reported being marginalized and discriminated against based on the clothing they wore (religious clothing) and the values and practices they observed. While this study was conducted in Canada, it is more than likely these experiences are shared by Muslim youth in the U.S. as well (Ahmed, 2009;Ahmed & Ezzeddine, 2009). …”

“…Hodge (2002) studied the importance of culturally appropriate interventions when working with Muslim youth in a social-work capacity, and discussed the profound impact of peer pressure to conform to popular norms on Muslim youth and the struggles they experience in reconciling that pressure with their religious and cultural values. Ahmed (2009) emphasizes the Muslim parent's role in helping Muslim youth navigate the challenges of living in the United States. With limited support from parents, Muslim youth often become confused, isolated, and experience a lack of acceptance.…”

20201218

“…Most young Muslim adults who reported being sexually experienced had engaged in sexual intercourse before marriage. Other recent research has found that, when asked, more than half of never-married Muslim college students in the United States reported engaging in sexual intercourse (Ahmed, 2009). The results of the current study paint an informative and illuminating picture of the sexual experience of these young Muslim women and men and its relationship to their sexual attitude and their levels of sexual guilt and sexual anxiety.…”

“…This is a developmental challenge identified for many American Muslim youth who are growing up in an important historical moment during which they may struggle to integrate or allow their identities as both American and Muslim to coexist in nonconflicting ways (Sirin & Fine, 2010). For instance, though their religious identity may be important, Ameri-can Muslim youth can also face greater discrimination and isolation from American culture because of their religious affiliation (Ahmed, 2009). Research on American Muslim youth suggests that the process of "hyphenating selves" describes the struggle to join identities (e.g., Muslim and American) separated by history, sociopolitical forces, and geography .…”

“…However, the integration of one's religious identity with other salient aspects of identity may pose unique and significant challenges, particularly for youth who identify with a religious community that is not necessarily or uniformly portrayed positively by one of the cultural group(s) with which they identify (Ahmed, 2009). This is a developmental challenge identified for many American Muslim youth who are growing up in an important historical moment during which they may struggle to integrate or allow their identities as both American and Muslim to coexist in nonconflicting ways (Sirin & Fine, 2010).…”