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On a daily basis—in the lunchroom, at the grocery store, in school hallways, in our political rhetoric and even at home—people hear and sometimes use words and phrases that demean, ridicule, offend or show ignorance about people from different groups and backgrounds. Regardless of whether the comments are deliberately malicious, said because the person lacks knowledge, or thought to be "a joke," such words are harmful and not only impact those on the receiving end but also everyone around who hears the words.
Responding to Bigoted Words
Biased words and phrases often come without warning, leaving the listener stunned and sometimes speechless, unsure how to respond. Unfortunately, the typical response is often to say nothing. However, there is a better response than no response at all. No response normalizes the language and lets others around think it's okay to do the same. While difficult to do, challenging bigoted and offensive remarks is critical to ensuring dignity and respect for all people. Responding to Bigoted Words provides guidelines and suggestions.
Responding to Jokes and Slurs
Responding to Jokes and Slurs provides a process that helps people confront offensive humor or slurs. When 'Just Joking' is No Joke: How to Respond When Students' 'Jokes' are Biased or Offensive provides tips, tools and language for addressing 'jokes' in the classroom.
"I Didn't Mean It Like That": Challenging Your Own Biases
Anyone, even those who use and choose their words carefully, may find themselves inadvertently using language or making insensitive comments that hurt others. While the intent may be benign or even neutral, the impact of the words may deeply affect the listener enough for him or her to respond. In such situations, it is easy to get defensive and say, “That’s not what I meant” or “You’re taking it the wrong way.” However, "I Didn't Mean It Like That": Challenging Your Own Biases" outlines how recognizing that all people have biases—developed consciously and unconsciously through socialization, education and media exposure—can help to create opportunities for us to “unlearn” biases and to check ourselves for stereotypes or misinformation that we may hold about people with backgrounds different from our own. When it Comes to Bias, We Must Prioritize Impact Over Intent explores the difference between intent and impact, shares examples and includes strategies for how to prioritize impact.
Taking Stock in Ourselves
Because challenging bias in ourselves and others is a life-long process, it is useful to periodically reflect on our attitudes and behaviors regarding issues of bias. To assist in this, use “Personal Self-Assessment of Anti-Bias Behavior” which provides a checklist for assessing individual attitudes and behaviors for bias.