Bullying and the Minority Population

Bullying in the Minority Population

Bullying affects the minority population just as much as the non-minority population(s).  Students that are black and/or Hispanic are at risk for suffering life-long psychological scarring from bullying (National Education Association [NEA], 2013). Current research suggests that minority students that are high academic achievers tend to be bullied by their fellow students (American Sociological Association [ASA], 2011). The bullying will lead the grades dropping for these minority high academic accomplished students. The reason for the drop in grade point average (GPA) is the fact that the bullying will make the students miss school and become depressed (National Education Association [NEA], 2013).

According to the NEA (2013), bullying occurs in all races for students who are academic achievers; however “it seems to be especially detrimental for subsets of certain racial and ethnic groups” (NEA, 2013). There are stereotypes that suggest that black or Hispanic students do poorly in school. These stereotypes will cause students to tease this particular minority group. As previously stated, minority students that are high academic achievers and who do not fit the stereotype are teased and that causes a group in their GPA (NEA, 2013).

Statistics

GPA Drop Rates Amongst Minority Students that are High Academic Achievers who suffered from Bullying

The ASA (2011) reported that 10^th grade ESL students of mixed races from Asian, Black, and Hispanic, showed that after bullying, their GPA dropped .049 points in their 12^th grade GPA. Studies show that 9^th students that are black with high GPA who were teased in 10^th grade experienced a .3 points decrease in their 12^th grade GPAs (ASA, 2011). However, the high achieving Latino students were great affected by bullying. The Latino students that were bullied in 10^th grade that started with a 3.5 GPA in 9^th grade suffered a .5-point decrease in their GPA by their senior year (ASA, 2011).

Additional Statistics

According the Bullying Statistics (2009) sexual harassment rates are higher in for students who are of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. This is true to middle school students more than any other age group. Once it comes to gender, female are more likely to be called gender-based hate words. Males are more likely to be called hate-words that are ethnic and racially based (Bullying Statistics, 2009).

Recommendation on how the community can help

In the case of bullying within the school setting for minority students that possess either poor grades or those that are high academic achiever, the teachers and school staff should pay close attention. Teachers and/or health educator need to be fully aware of what is happening to their minority students. A health educator can develop intervention programs that will break down the racial stereotypes.

Community Organization Support

The NEA offers a great support website with multiple links to others. This particular sites and its link offer information and support for minorities and bullying. The site reaches out to the students, parents, and teachers.

http://www.nea.org/home/MinorityCommunityOutreach.html

PACERS National Bullying Prevention Center is another great site that promotes standing up against bullying. This site and organization offers information on bullying and for minority students as well. There are fundraisers for walks and other social events that support the anti-bullying cause.

http://www.pacer.org/bullying/?gclid=CNvI_trrurgCFSIV7Aod02cAyQ

References

American Sociological Association. (2011). Bullying Victims Often Suffer Academically, Particularly 
High Achieving Blacks and Latinos. Retrieved from http://www.asanet.org/press/bullying_victims_often_suffer_academically.cfm

National Education Association. (2013). Bullying Takes Toll on Minority Student Achievement. Retrieved from http://neatoday.org/2011/09/07/bullying-takes-toll-on-minority-student-achievement/