Many people look at race discrimination as a major problem, however, they never dig deep enough to realize that it could have a negative impact on the health of the person who is being discriminated against.
According to a study published in the journal Child Development, teens who experienced race discrimination, without getting support from others, such as parents, experienced a higher body mass index, higher blood pressure, and more stress related hormones by the time they reached the age of 20.
These types of studies show that race discrimination is a problem on many different levels, including the impact it can have on a person, including teens, over the long run.
The lead investigator of the study had this to say:
“When a person’s sense of human dignity is violated, there are physiological consequences.”
Fortunately, the study shows that those who received emotional support in relation to the discrimination did not feel any of the biological effects. On the other side of this, there is no way of guaranteeing that everybody who is a victim of racial discrimination will have this type of support in their life. For this reason, the chance of negative health consequences remains.
This study may have examined the impact of race discrimination on teens, but anybody who goes through this could be affected in some way, shape, or form.
If people believe they are being discriminated against because of their race, it is important for them to learn more about their rights. This often leads to a conversation with an employment law attorney.
Source: NBC News, “Racial Discrimination in Teen Years Could Create Health Problems” Nov. 24, 2014
