Centering Youth Voices: Addressing Identity-Based Bullying

It is important when engaging in conversations that can bring up challenging memories, ideas or topics to ensure that ground rules/norms are in place to ensure that students are able to safely engage in challenging topics, and reinforce the idea that there is a difference between discomfort and safety in learning. If your classroom already has ground rules in place, remind students of them prior to the conversation.

Throughout the video, as young people talk about their experiences in school, they share examples of identity-based bullying. Identity-based bullying “refers to any form of bullying related to the characteristics considered unique to a person’s identity, such as their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or physical appearance.” 

• Because identity-based bullying targets who the student is—a core part of their identity and who they are—it is especially harmful.  
• Identity-based bullying impacts not only the targeted student but others around them who identify in the same way and who fear that they may be the next target.  
• If the bias and bullying are not addressed, that sends a message to others and the school community that targeting someone based on their identity is acceptable. That lack of response can open the door to continued bias, bullying and identity-based bullying.

Originally coined by civil rights activist, Kimberlé Crenshaw, intersectionality is “the examination of overlapping and connected social systems that compound oppression for individuals who belong to multiple marginalized social groups based on their race, gender, class, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, disability, etc.”  

• Intersectionality provides a way to look at the overlap and intersections of people’s social group identities and addresses the related and intersecting systems of bias, discrimination and oppression. When an individual’s identity includes several marginalized identity groups, this makes their experience of bias and oppression unique and compounded in a variety of ways.
• For example, for a Black queer woman, examining her oppression as a woman is not sufficient to truly understand her experiences in the world. All of her intersecting identities, with their accompanying harm, must be considered.

Bias, discrimination and oppression in our society are prevalent, frequent and have a long history. ADL’s Pyramid of Hate illustrates how bias escalates and how biased attitudes and behavior grow in complexity from bottom to top.

• Unchecked bias can become “normalized” and contribute to a pattern of accepting discrimination, violence and injustice in society.
• Consider the biased attitudes and actions the students shared from their lived experiences.
  • Were those attitudes and actions accepted or “normalized?” If they were, could this lead to other levels of bias and discrimination?
  • What do you think would happen if those biased attitudes and behaviors were challenged or confronted? When we interrupt the escalation of bias, we make it more difficult for bias, discrimination and hate to continue and grow. 

Sharing definitions at the start of a lesson allows all students to enter into conversation from a space of shared language, and to help avoid miscommunications and misunderstandings.

• Bullying is defined as repeated actions or threats of action directed toward a person by one or more people who have (or are perceived to have) more power or status than their target in order to cause fear, distress or harm.
• Identity-based bullying refers to any form of bullying related to the characteristics considered unique to a person’s identity (or perceived identity), such as their race, religion, sexual orientation or physical appearance.  
• Allyship: Being an ally means noticing when someone is being treated badly (through name-calling, exclusion or bullying) and doing something safe and kind to help, even if you don't personally know the person being targeted. 

Pick several of the questions below to discuss with students before they view the video. 

• What does the word "bullying" mean to you? How is it different from a conflict between friends or someone being rude?
• What do you think "identity-based bullying" means? What parts of a person's identity might be targeted?
• How would you describe the culture of our school? What makes someone feel like they belong here?
• What is the difference between someone making a joke and someone causing harm? Who decides which it is?
• What does it mean to be an "upstander" rather than a bystander? What makes it hard to be one?
• What do you think adults at school can do, or should do, when a student is targeted because of who they are? 

Provide students with 1-2 of the questions below to consider while viewing the video. 

• How do students describe feeling when they are "othered" or singled out?
• What do students say worked and did not work when adults responded?
• What do students say they want from teachers and administrators? 

Select several of the questions below to discuss with students after they watch the video to reflect and process the learning. 

• Which students or experiences in the video stood out to you most? Why?
• Several speakers mention "inappropriate jokes." Why might someone say these are not "just jokes"? How can something harm people even when it isn't aimed at one person, like the swastika in a bathroom?
• The video says incidents are often "dealt with very individually" instead of looking at "the system as a whole." What is the difference between fixing one incident and changing school culture?
• Several students say education helps, including learning queer history and understanding why something is hurtful. How does learning about others reduce bullying or misunderstanding?
• One speaker says consequences should be "intentional," "clear," and "forgiving" so that "communities heal." Do you agree? What might a forgiving but accountable response look like?
• Why might a student struggle to stand up for themselves? What is the role of others in those moments?
• What is one thing our school does well to make all students feel included? What is one thing we could do better?
• If a classmate came to you after an incident like those in the video, what would you want to say or do?