Discrimination based on race, gender, sexuality, religion, and many other factors has been a problem across the world for several years. Recently however, we have finally been able to see people come together to address this wide scale issue. There’s one area where I’m constantly seeing discrimination being normalized and joked about. This area is among youth, more specifically teenagers.
When we take the time to look deeper into discrimination among teenagers, we can identify some prominent types of discrimination. Discrimination based on race and discrimination based on sexuality or gender. I’m fortunate enough that I haven’t witnessed much of this discrimination in my community, but I still wanted to discuss this issue because these types of discrimination, common among teenagers, still go unnoticed.
One of the most frequently used ways I see offensive comments made are through jokes. Why are these comments disguised this way? Well, people assume that if they encase an extremely offensive or derogatory comment in a joke, others are “not allowed to be offended by it”. If someone does get offended, they supposedly “can’t take a joke” or they’re a “snowflake”. These offensive jokes are also known as dark humour and are “not to be taken seriously”, but we should take them seriously because the jokes are targeting a specific group or experience in an offensive way.
Many of us know that these comments are offensive when we hear others making them, so why are we still seeing this problem? Well, it’s because teenagers are afraid to address the problem. Although addressing these situations when you see them can seem terrifying, it’s the most important step to creating positive change in your community. Below, you’ll see methods for how you can address a situation where you see discrimination among your peers (this includes friends!).
1. Respond with a question
This forces someone making a rude comment to reflect on what they said, identify the problem themselves, and correct their mistake.
Some questions you can respond with are:
- “What made that joke funny?”
- “Was it necessary to make that comment?”
- “Was it necessary to use that word?”
2. Be honest!
It’s important for a person making offensive comments to be conscious about how they’re affecting other people. Be direct with the person and tell them what’s wrong with what they said.
Somethings you can respond with are:
- “There are other words you can use. For example…”
- “It wasn’t necessary to say that.”
- “I found that comment offensive. It’s offensive because…”
- “Don’t joke about that stuff.”
(Some of these suggestions were from the YVC Racial Equity Project)
Finally, if you feel like you can’t speak out right away when someone makes an offensive comment, you don’t have to feel guilty. It’s harder than it sounds and it may take a while before you feel comfortable enough to do it. When you are comfortable though, get out there and speak out!
I hope this post was helpful! Stay safe!