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Racism is messed up. It can tear people up from the inside out and so can bullying. Both of which can actually cause people to take their lives. Being bullied or experiencing racism can make people feel sad, angry, depressed and left out. It can even impact their physical health, including stress reactions like increased heart rate and headaches. Racism is any attitude or behavior that assumes someone is inferior because of their skin color or race. It can take many forms from jokes or comments that cause offence (perhaps unintentionally) to harassment and intimidation or physical abuse and violence. Racial bullying is also a big problem especially in schools and at work. Racial bullying, or harassment, is when someone is subjected to verbal, physical or emotional abuse, in person or online, because of their race or skin color. For children and young people, racial bullying at school could be their most common experience of racism. There are so many ways that racism can be recognized:
1. refuse to play with or sit next to them
2. exclude them from social groups
3. make fun of their clothes, food or appearance
4. ridicule or mimic their accents or gestures
5. write graffiti or use derogatory language directed against their family or cultural group
6. make stereotypical statements
7. make assumptions about their abilities based on their cultural background
8. witness racist behavior and allow it to go unchallenged
9. do not respond to complaints of racism
10. anglicise their name whether they like it or not
11. force them to take part in activities that go against their cultural or religious beliefs
12. do not allow them to speak their birth language
13. hand out more severe forms of discipline, favoring children from their own cultural background
14. use intimidating behavior, such as stealing, damaging personal property, taunting and stalking, because the child or young person is seen as being different
15. pick fights or physically assault them because of their cultural background.
All of these things can lead to:
Self-harm
Suicide
depression
stress
emotional distress
anxiety
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
grief and so many more.
Lets move on to bullying:
Bullying can affect everyone—those who are bullied, those who bully, and those who witness bullying. Bullying is linked to many negative outcomes including impacts on mental health, substance use, and suicide. It is important to talk to kids to determine whether bullying—or something else—is a concern. People who are bullied can start to experience depression, anxiety, stress, emotional distress, anger, sadness, loneliness, changes in eating and sleeping patterns, loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy, health complaints, Decreased academic achievement—GPA and standardized test scores—and school participation. They are more likely to miss, skip, or drop out of school. Kids who bully others can also engage in violent and other risky behaviors into adulthood.
Kids who bully are more likely to:
Abuse alcohol and other drugs in adolescence and as adults
Get into fights, vandalize property, and drop out of school
Engage in early sexual activity
Have criminal convictions and traffic citations as adults
Be abusive toward their romantic partners, spouses, or children as adults
Kids who witness bullying are more likely to:
Have increased use of tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs
Have increased mental health problems, including depression and anxiety
Miss or skip school
The Relationship between Bullying and Suicide
Media reports often link bullying with suicide. However, most youth who are bullied do not have thoughts of suicide or engage in suicidal behaviors.
Although kids who are bullied are at risk of suicide, bullying alone is not the cause. Many issues contribute to suicide risk, including depression, problems at home, and trauma history. Additionally, specific groups have an increased risk of suicide, including American Indian and Alaskan Native, Asian American, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. This risk can be increased further when these kids are not supported by parents, peers, and schools. Bullying can make an unsupportive situation worse.
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IN Australia people call foreigners wogs.
ReplyEven the White people from the UK?
Replythat's just messed up...
ReplyI know what racism is. Yes it does suck. I've been in racist work places for example and I've experienced it. Its not pleasant.
Last I checked if we all get cut our blood is the same color.
Therefore neither do skin color or ethnicity make any group or persons inferior to anybody. We're all human.
Reply"Last I checked if we all get cut our blood is the same color."
"Therefore neither do skin color or ethnicity make any group or persons inferior to anybody. We're all human."
That's what I tell people every day.
Reply