Shedding Psychological Light on the Racial Disparities in School Disciplinary Measures: The Role of Dehumanization as a Potential Mechanism

Schools should be safe and supportive spaces for all students, yet Black students tend to face biased treatment in the education system, which often results in harsh disciplinary measures. This research examined the role of animalistic dehumanization (i.e., perceiving others as animal- like and uncultured and denying uniquely human characteristics), in predicting choice of harsher disciplinary measures for Black students as opposed to White students. It was hypothesized that individuals who dehumanize Black students to a greater degree would be more likely to believe that Black students need to be disciplined through harsher measures. Both Study 1 (in which dehumanization was assessed) and Study 2 (in which dehumanization was experimentally manipulated) failed to provide evidence supporting the role of dehumanization in differential choices of school disciplinary measures for Black vs. White students. However, both studies provided evidence suggesting that dehumanization of, and negative attitudes toward, Black Americans are still prevalent and related in American society, and that animal learning perceptions and paradigms influence participant perceptions of threat from students and disciplinary decisions. These findings indicate a need for continued investigation of racial stereotypes about students when assessing racial disparities in school discipline.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/gradposters/1062/thumbnail.jp

Unpacking the Psychosocial Effects of Institutional Racism

My project investigated the effects of institutional racism on Black students at the College of William and Mary. I interviewed twenty Black William and Mary students and analyzed existing data from the Stand Up and Be Counted survey created by Dr. Anne Charity Hudley and Dr. Cheryl Dickter between June 2015 and April 2016. The purpose of this study centered on evaluating the extent to which exposure to institutional racism at the college affects the psychological, social, and academic realities of Black students who walk the college’s campus today. I also explored the relationship between institutional racism, stereotype threat, and impostor syndrome within the lives and everyday realities of Black William and Mary students, and crafted poetry selections based on the experiences of various students in order to provide a more personal, in-depth look at Black American student experiences at William and Mary. My research moved away from previous theoretical perspectives that frame racism as a crime without actors, and instead sought to highlight the methods by which institutional racism manifests and is maintained. In conducting this research, I sought to examine the scope of certain institutionally racist policies and procedures, such as the use of culturally biased curricula and passive responses to individual acts of racism, and to situate them within historical, social, and cultural contexts centered on the preservation of White privilege (Constantine, 2006; D’Andrea and Daniels, 2007). This research has serious implications for issues of race in education as it explores the role race plays in education

Examination of the Role of Dehumanization as a Potential Mechanism Underlying the Racial Disparities in School Disciplinary Measures.

Schools should be safe and supportive spaces for all students, yet Black students tend to face biased treatment in the education system, which often results in harsh disciplinary measures. This research examined the role of animalistic dehumanization (i.e., perceiving others as animal-like and uncultured and denying uniquely human characteristics), in predicting choice of harsher disciplinary measures for Black students as opposed to White students. It was hypothesized that individuals who dehumanize Black students to a greater degree would be more likely to believe that Black students need to be disciplined through harsher measures. Additionally, it was hypothesized that the link between dehumanization and choice of disciplinary measure would be mediated by empathy, attribution of mind, and/or perceived threat. Both Study 1 (in which dehumanization was assessed) and 2 (in which dehumanization was experimentally manipulated) failed to provide evidence supporting the role of dehumanization in differential choices of school disciplinary measures for Black vs. White students. However, both studies provided evidence suggesting that dehumanization of and negative attitudes toward Black Americans are still prevalent and related in American society, and that animal learning perceptions and paradigms influence participant perceptions of threat from students and disciplinary decisions. These findings indicate a need for continued investigation of racial stereotypes about students when assessing racial disparities in school discipline

Can school be a source of trauma? Assessing academic traumatic stress as a mechanism underlying the health outcomes of Black undergraduate students

Research examining Black students’ school experiences demonstrates that exposure to oppressive power dynamics in schools may lead to adverse physiological and psychological consequences. Recent conceptualizations in public discourse further posit that traumatic educational experiences, operationalized here as academic trauma or the cumulative toll of adverse and oppressive experiences in academic settings, may influence Black students’ wellbeing even after they have graduated. However, academic trauma has yet to be investigated empirically, and the health contributions of such educational harm remain unstudied. Moreover, little is known about how culturally-relevant personal characteristics (e.g., emotion regulation strategies) influence Black students’ reactivity to academic trauma. This dissertation empirically tested academic trauma as a systemic form of trauma contributing to the physical and mental health outcomes of a sample of 130 Black postsecondary students. Results revealed that exposure to academic trauma was predictive of greater posttraumatic stress symptomology, above and beyond the effects of general trauma, overall health, major experiences of discrimination, college stress, and several other relevant personal characteristics (i.e., financial status, sexual orientation, and high school preparation). Moreover, greater use of racialized emotion regulation exacerbated the psychological toll of academic trauma. Given that adverse experiences in the education system have wide reaching effects for Black Americans, empirically establishing academic trauma as a unique factor contributing to racial disparities in health outcomes is a critical first step for achieving health equity. These findings have important implications for higher education institutions, the actors they imbue with power (i.e., faculty, staff, campus police), and their counseling resources

Faculty Change from Within: The Creation of the WMSURE Program

Underrepresented students have less knowledge of research experiences available on campus and are less likely to feel supported by faculty than represented students. To address these issues and increase the number of underrepresented undergraduate researchers, faculty at the College of William & Mary created the William & Mary Scholars Undergraduate Research Experience (WMSURE). Community based and participatory research methods were used to work with students in developing research questions and in collecting and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data about their academic and personal experiences. This led to the development of academic and research advising services, workshops, faculty education, and research funding to support underrepresented students. This article evaluates the program. Results suggest that the WMSURE program has increased research opportunities and feelings of support on campus