Bullying isn’t something that
only happens in school. It isn’t only about being thrown into lockers, getting
name-called, or getting a swirly in the 3rd
floor bathroom between classes. Well, maybe that was the case in middle
school, but as we get older, bullying takes on a different form (i.e.
discrimination based on sex, race, gender, age, appearance).
If you’re thinking that you’ve
never been one of those type of bullies, what you don’t know is that you may be
a bully and don’t even know it. Microaggressions are the everyday insults or
demeaning messages sent to women or minorities by people with good intentions.
For example, asking Asian people how long they have been in the country for; or
mistaking a woman in court as a court reporter. Although the intentions are
good, these micoaggressions can still have mental health implications, such as
depression and anxiety, or trouble in the workplace with productivity and
focus.
One of the panelists threw out a
term called “presumed incompetence.” Presumed incompetence is the perception of
women or people of color to be less competent than the white man, which leads
to questioning the credibility of that individual. He or she is presumed to
only be in their position because of affirmative action or a quota. An example
of this would be when a freshman Congressman mistakenly identified to senior
government officials as foreigners. When speaking to them, he repeatedly
mentioned “your country,” as in India, to them.
This happens due to “implicit
bias,” attitudes or behaviors that affect our understanding without our
knowing; it is completely unconscious. It manifests itself through in-group
interaction, also known as “bullying with positivity.” This happens because
people relate to those that are more like themselves.
The good news is that implicit
bias can be broken if it is treated like a habit. It is culture and society
that makes us develop stereotypes early in our childhoods. By taking an active
role in outlining and acknowledging different types of biases in an effort to
promote an anti-bias environment, the habit can be broken.
Schools in Massachusetts have all
school faculty be educated in bullying. Further, the American Bar Association
also had a resolution regarding the promotion of anti-bias behavior. Of course,
the solution is not a completely flawless one. Schools may enforce an anti-bias
standard, however children are influenced greatly by friendships and family
also. Also, awareness of one’s surroundings can also lead to a change in
perception.
Personally, I don’t know if I would categorize
microagressions and implicit biases as a subconscious form of bullying. I think
it has a lot to do with ignorance. An individual’s intentions are good, but
they lack the means to effectively portray that. The United States is a melting
pot consisting of people from all different places and all different walks of
life. I think it is alright for a person to speak out of ignorance, so long as
they do it with the best intentions and is corrected afterwards. I believe by
categorizing even the miniscule biases is going to create more exclusivity. How
can one achieve absolute inclusion when there is a list of the different types
of biases categorizing us by how we’re different?
By: Sheevani Patel, New England Law
Lt. Governor Mental Health & Wellness
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