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U.S.
Olympian gymnast Gabby Douglas has recently been on the
receiving end of more than her fair share of harassment and
aggression on social media. An alarming number of what
appears to be race-based cyber bullying attacks have
occurred which range from criticism of the young
African-American’s hair and appearance to accusations of the
athlete as being unpatriotic.
While
high-profile social media attacks on Douglas and other black
celebrities, such as Leslie Jones of Ghostbusters, get more
notice, black youth are overrepresented as victims of cyber
bullying and cyber violence.
Yet, few
African Americans understand the negative effects of being
on the receiving end of Internet abuse, which includes
humiliation, harassment, intimidation, embarrassment or
having one’s personhood demeaned.
Experiencing bullying via social media is also associated
with negative physical, social and emotional health outcomes
and sometimes can lead to fatal consequences. Victims are at
“increased risk for mental health problems such as
depression, anxiety, psychosomatic complaints such as
headaches and poor school adjustment,” (Albdour and Krouse,
2014, p.69).
What can we
do to protect black children from the effects of online
bullying?
For
certain, parents’ prohibition of social media use by black
youth is not an option. Millennials of all ethnicities are
the heaviest users of social media and thus are not likely
to abstain, even if ordered.
However,
providing young people with the tools they need to handle
life’s tough circumstances is likely to be more helpful than
shielding them altogether from pain and difficulty that come
with assaults on their self esteem. Rather than stepping in
to provide instant advice, a parent can brainstorm with the
child about possible solutions. This helps to build
self-confidence when young people are allowed to generate
answers to their own problems.
In
addition to “nurturant-involved” parents, others such as
teachers or prosocial friends can serve as a protective
force from the negative impact of cyber bullying or even the
effects of discrimination.
While
they may not be able to end the harassment, teachers and
others can provide positive experiences and relationships. A
high level of involvement in positive relationships has been
shown to be effective in countering negative behavioral
responses to bullying such as substance abuse, suicidal
tendencies, or smoking.
Finally,
if black children are to overcome the negative assaults upon
their personhood and ultimately possess positive self-images
that will enable them to thrive, they should participate in
high quality supplemental educational enrichment programs.
These
after school or weekend programs should provide nurturant-involved
mentors and consist of tutoring, music, dance, drama,
history or a combination of two or more of these elements.
What is important is that they develop positive self-image
by teaching life skills, culture and values.
Although
he attended the prestigious Sidwell Friends school during
the week, noted author Baratunde Thurston, looks back fondly
on his enrollment at the Afrocentric Ankobia weekend
educational program where he read books on Malcolm X, King,
Robeson, Kwame Nkrumah and was also exposed to West African
elders and their cultural traditions.
“Too much
exposure to Sidwell’s culture, and I might forget where I
came from, start to value things foreign to my upbringing,
and end up a total disappointment to my community…. Too much
exposure to the Ankobia world, though, might have me
thinking black folk were only kings and queens, and white
folk could never ever be trusted. This is clearly not true,”
he writes.
What is
certain is that black children must develop positive
self-images in order to overcome the dangers of today’s
digital society. That will only be accomplished by a healthy
cultural approach and the protective involvement of those
who are closest to them.
Contact Rev. Donald Perryman, D.Min, at
drdlperryman@centerofhopebaptist.org
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