Bullying and Prejudices among students

Growing up in Idaho attending Parochial schools, I did not confront many issues that the teens I work with are seeing until I was older.  The only two years I spent in public school were 7^th and 8^th grade.  One of my teachers in 8^th grade set up an experiment for our entire class called the red tagging experiment.  We were studying The Diary of Anne Frank in our English class, and she wanted us to personally see the affects of prejudice on our classmates.  A percentage of students in our class were selected to be “red tagged” for a four day long experiment.  Students could choose not to participate as a “red tagger”. 

Teachers and administrators agreed to participate and some took the experiment more serious than others.  “Red taggers” wore a red tag around their wrist and could get a detention if they talked to or were talked to by a “regular” student.  Some teacher would make the “red taggers” stand during class and others wouldn’t all them to participate.  They were required to stay in a certain area of the lunch room during break and lunch, and were unable to sit with the “normal” students. 

As a student who had never recognized prejudice, this experience was incredibly eye-opening.  I realized in talking to my friends from different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds that the prejudices that was created by the rag-tagging experience are realities people face everyday.  It was amazing how mean students could be just because someone said it was ok to treat people differently.  Since 8^th grade, I’ve learned a lot about history, prejudice, and many of the feelings the red tagging experiment provoked. 

Nine years later, I am working at two junior high schools.  I have seen and heard incredibly hurtful ways that these students treat one another.  Our challenge is to come along side the teens and help them to recognize prejudice and find ways to combat it.

What are some of the ways we can do this?  How do we encourage youth to become confident young people who can stand up to injustice?  What do we say and do to help them find their identity?  How do we become allies for youth who are being bullied or face prejudices against them?

See my next blog for some ideas