Micro aggression
A classmate says, “You speak English really well for someone like you.” It makes you uncomfortable. What should you do?
What is the best response?
a) Laugh it off
b) Ignore it
c) Calmly explain why the comment is hurtful or talk to a trusted adult
c) Calmly explain why the comment is hurtful or talk to a trusted adult
A student tells a joke that stereotypes a certain group and people laugh.
What should you do?
a) Laugh along
b) Say nothing
c) Speak up or avoid encouraging it
c) Speak up or avoid encouraging it
Someone keeps mocking your answers in class. What should you do?
a) Stop participating
b) Report it to a teacher
c) Insult them back
b) Report it to a teacher
A student is always left out of group activities.
What should you do?
a) Ignore it
b) Include them when possible
c) Follow what others do
b) Include them when possible
A student tells another, “You’re pretty smart for a girl,” while others nearby stay silent.
Who is showing the microaggression, who is affected, and who are the bystanders?
Microaggressor: the student making the comment
Target: the student receiving it
Bystanders: those who hear it and say nothing
Someone tells a joke making fun of a group, another student looks uncomfortable, and others laugh.
Who is the one making the biased joke, who is affected, and who are the bystanders?
Joke teller: person making the joke
Target: the student or group being made fun of
Bystanders: those laughing or staying silent
During lunch, Andy makes fun of Bill’s clothes while others laugh and watch.
Who is the bully, victim, and bystander?
Bully: Andy
Victim: Bill
Bystanders: the ones watching/laughing
A group intentionally leaves one student out of a project and doesn’t tell them about meetings.
Who is excluding, who is being excluded, and who are the bystanders?
Excluders: the group
Target: the left-out student
Bystanders: anyone aware but not helping
A student repeatedly mispronounces another student’s name even after being corrected several times.
What type of microaggression is this?
a) Accidental mistake
b) Microinsult
c) Microinvalidation
d) Harmless joke
b) Microinsult
A student says, “It’s just a joke, don’t be so sensitive,” after someone objects to a stereotype-based joke.
What is this response an example of?
a) Apology
b) Justification of bias
c) Friendly teasing
d) Conflict resolution
b) Justification of bias
A student is spreading rumors about you and people start avoiding you.
What type of bullying is this?
a) Physical
b) Verbal
c) Social
d) Cyber
c) Social
A student is ignored, not invited to events, and left out of conversations on purpose.
What type of behavior is this?
a) Accidental exclusion
b) Social exclusion
c) Conflict avoidance
d) Friendly independence
b) Social exclusion
A student laughs at a mean joke about someone but later tells their friend privately that it was wrong.
a) Supportive bystander
b) Bully
c) Bystander contributing to harm
d) Not involved
c) Bystander contributing to harm
“If a joke hurts someone, their reaction is more important than the joker’s intent.”
True or False?
"Bystanders have no real impact on bullying situations."
True or False?
False
“Exclusion can be harmful even if no words are spoken.”
True or False?
True
A student tells their classmate, “I don’t see color, we’re all the same,” when the classmate is discussing discrimination they’ve faced.
What type of microaggression is this?
a) Microassault
b) Microinsult
c) Microinvalidation
d) Compliment
c) Microinvalidation
A group repeatedly makes jokes about a student’s culture. When confronted, they say, “We joke about everyone, so it’s fair.”
What is the main issue in this situation?
a) Equal treatment
b) Hidden bias reinforced through humor
c) Harmless fun
d) Conflict resolution
b) Hidden bias reinforced through humor
A student repeatedly says things like, “I treat everyone the same, I don’t see differences,” when classmates bring up unfair treatment they experience.
What is the BEST answer?
a) Respectful attitude
b) Microaggression
c) Bullying
d) Neutral response
b) Microaggression
A student says to another, “I don’t think you’d understand this, it’s kind of advanced,” even though the student has shown they do well in class. This happens a few times, and others nearby hear it but don’t respond.
a) Bullying
b) Microaggression
c) Friendly advice
d) Exclusion
b) Microagression