Stigmatization Issues
The phenomenon of stigmatization lies in the fact that a certain contingent of people are subject to various social stereotypes. The source of prejudice and discrimination may be not only adults around these people but also their peers. The focus of this study is on a group of black Americans enrolled in high school who have parents or adult relatives who are on police or criminal records.
Main body
On the one hand, there is an unfair prejudice on the part of peers who consider children from criminal families to be especially dangerous and often disrespectful of them. On the other hand, one can still argue about the relevance of the problem of discrimination based on race. Research shows that in the context of breaking the law, white criminals and their families are perceived with less apprehension than the same people belonging to the black American community (Major et al., 2018). Parents of classmates of children from disadvantaged White families often offer additional help, although it is fair to say that, regardless of race, most adults advise their children to limit their contact with such classmates (Major et al., 2018). In the case of black children, there are far fewer attempts on the part of their environment to show sympathy and concern, and parents of peers seek to limit not only psychological but also physical contact.
Stigmatization is an important very urgent problem for the black community and requires additional measures from various foundations in the organization to improve the situation. In working with adolescents coming from dysfunctional black families, I have noticed that their situation involves a great deal of ethical challenges and trauma (Major et al., 2018). The latter includes experiencing the constant stress of exclusion and unjust condemnation from society and sometimes from the reference group.
Conclusion
Thus, the ethical consequences are that the child develops a picture of a violent world in which there is a lack of trust in people around society and the state as a whole. This can later lead to the child’s deviant behavior as an adult. The population I studied includes children and adolescents from an area in which nearly one in four black families has certain legal problems. In this situation, the most timely inclusion of educators and psychologists who would help provide effective support to children and facilitate their process of socialization is necessary.
Reference
Major, B., Dovidio, J. F., & Link, B. G. (2018). The Oxford Handbook of stigma, discrimination, and health. Oxford University Press.