It’s over 50 years since the Civil Rights Act marked the culmination of the civil rights movement, but daily evidence is provided as to the long way still to go before equality is truly achieved.  The latest comes via a study from Rutgers University, which highlights how racial discrimination remains a daily occurrence for black teenagers.

This discrimination, which is experienced both online and offline, has a significant impact upon the mental health of the youngsters.

The findings came after a survey of black youths aged between 13 and 17 from predominantly black neighborhoods in Washington, D.C.  Each participant was surveyed daily for a fortnight to explore their experiences with racial discrimination and how this affected their mental health during the time period.

During the study period, over 5,600 instances of racial discrimination were reported, which equated to an average of over 5 per day per individual.

“This research reflects what researchers and activists have asserted for years: Black adolescents are forced to face antiblack microaggressions on a daily basis. Importantly, this study expands the research on the many ways that discrimination happens, whether it is being teased by peers, asked to speak for their racial group in class or seeing a racist post on social media,” the researchers say.

Wide ranging discrimination

The kinds of discrimination reported by the participants ranged from teasing about their physical appearance to overt discrimination.  This abuse often resulted in short-term increases in depressive symptoms.

“Racial teasing is important because it is one of the most common ways adolescents communicate about race,” the researchers explain. “Critically, young people and adults, such as teachers, often see this teasing as harmless and choose not to address it. Our results, however, show several types of racial teasing are harmful for black adolescents.”

The paper reminds us that public discourse can often directly or indirectly blame health inequities on the youths themselves, the reality is that discrimination can play a huge role in the worsening of these inequities.

“Knowing this, people in positions of power such as clinicians, school administrators and policy makers have a responsibility to consider discrimination as a critical aspect of the daily experience and health of black teens,” the authors conclude.  “Racial discrimination prevention should be a public health imperative.”