Centering Youth Voices: Addressing Identity-Based Bullying

GRADE LEVEL: Middle School, High School

Overview

Bullying takes place in schools every day and is one of the primary ways that bias shows up among students. When the bullying behavior targets aspects of someone’s identity, this is called identity-based bullying. Identity-based bullying is bullying based on bias about or targeting of someone’s identity (e.g., appearance, race, culture, gender and gender identity, language, religion, socioeconomic status, disability, sexual orientation, etc.). Because identity-based bullying targets who the student is—a core part of their identity—it can be especially harmful. Identity-based bullying impacts not only the targeted student, but others around them who identify in the same way and who worry that they may be the next target.

In this activity, students will:

• Students will reflect on their own identities and the identities of others.
• Students will understand what identity-based bullying is and explore examples based on young people’s real-life experiences.
• Students will identify ways that their school can address and reduce identity-based bullying.