"It's Not in Your Head": Gaslighting, 'Splaining, Victim Blaming, and Other Harmful Reactions to Microaggressions.

Perspect Psychol Sci

Department of Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, and the Graduate Center, City University of New York.

Published: September 2021

Secondary microaggressions refer to the ways in which people of historically dominant groups negate the realities of people of marginalized groups. describes the act of manipulating others to doubt themselves or question their own sanity; people confronted for committing microaggressions deny the existence of their biases, often convincing the targets of microaggressions to question their own perceptions. (derived from mansplaining/Whitesplaining) is an act in which a person of a dominant group speaks for or provides rationale to people of marginalized groups about topics related to oppression or inequity. refers to assigning fault to people who experience violence or wrongdoing and is used as a tool to discredit people of marginalized groups who speak out against microaggressions or any injustices. Finally, abandonment and neglect refer to a bystander's failure to address or acknowledge microaggressions. Although these terms are commonly known among marginalized communities (and frequently used in popular media), there is a dearth in academic literature that substantiates these phenomena and relates them to microaggressions. The purpose of this article is to review these concepts in the psychological literature and to demonstrate the psychological harm caused by these behaviors on interpersonal and systemic levels.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/17456916211011963DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

people marginalized
12
marginalized groups
12
microaggressions
7
people
6
"it's head"
4
head" gaslighting
4
gaslighting 'splaining
4
'splaining victim
4
victim blaming
4
blaming harmful
4

Similar Publications

Background: The rapid shift to video consultation services during the COVID-19 pandemic has raised concerns about exacerbating existing health inequities, particularly for disadvantaged populations. Intersectionality theory provides a valuable framework for understanding how multiple dimensions of disadvantage interact to shape health experiences and outcomes.

Objective: This study aims to explore how multiple dimensions of disadvantage-specifically older age, limited English proficiency, and low socioeconomic status-intersect to shape experiences with digital health services, focusing on video consultations.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The discipline of ecology and evolutionary biology (EEB) has long grappled with issues of inclusivity and representation, particularly for individuals with systematically excluded and marginalized backgrounds or identities. For example, significant representation disparities still persist that disproportionately affect women and gender minorities; Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC); individuals with disabilities; and people who are LGBTQIA+. Recent calls for action have urged the EEB community to directly address issues of representation, inclusion, justice, and equity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The role of epidemiologists in addressing the public health consequences of the United States criminal legal system.

Am J Epidemiol

January 2025

Department of Public Health Leadership and Practice, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.

Exposure to the United States criminal legal system - whether through contact with law enforcement, incarceration in a jail or prison, or community supervision - is associated with a range of adverse health outcomes. There is mounting evidence that mass incarceration drives health inequities, particularly for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. However, relative to its outsized impacts on health and health inequities, the criminal legal system has received limited attention in epidemiology.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Hostile, discriminatory, and violent behavior within the creative industries has attracted considerable public interest and existing inequalities have been discussed broadly. However, few empirical studies have examined experiences of hostile behavior in creative higher education and associated mental health outcomes of early career artists. To address this gap, we conducted a survey among individuals studying at higher education institutions for art and music (N = 611).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!