TURNERS FALLS — While many students at Turners Falls High School think their peers have no qualms about making fun of someone else because of their race, sexual orientation or another aspect, a survey has shown that, most of the time, that’s not actually the case.
That result came out of the Shout Out! Social Norms marketing program, run by Community Action Youth Programs, now in its third year in both TFHS and Greenfield High School.
The data, which typically shows most students do not think it’s right to make fun of others for various reasons, are printed on posters and hung around the school.
Together, Normandin said, the results bring to light the reality of what the students actually believe versus what they think their classmates believe, with the goal of helping to reduce discrimination and creating a safer learning environment throughout the school.
“What we find is 92 percent of Turners Falls High School students think it’s wrong to make fun of someone for their religion, but they think their peers don’t feel the same way,” Normandin said. “When we ask how they think their peers feel, most of them say little to none of their peers feel the same way. A lot of times students do things they don’t necessarily believe in and if their peers do it, they might do it, too.”
Evidence shows creating that more connected atmosphere at school leads to better educational outcomes, Normandin said.
“Staying in school longer, feeling more comfortable, higher grades,” she gave as a few examples. “It lowers risky behavior and substance abuse. That’s the heart of the campaign.”
Over the years, Normandin said, the campaign has specifically worked to address issues surrounding race and ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity.
“We’ve seen a decrease in actual behaviors in both schools,” she said. “The misperception has drastically decreased.”
Data provided by Normandin shows that perceptions about how many classmates consider making fun of others for their sexual orientation and gender identity have both decreased, while the race and ethnicity category has increased since 2013.
“We’ve really been focusing on having a group of youth, either current students or students and alumni, develop a survey that we administer each fall to the entire school,” Tyanna Normandin, a youth leadership development specialist at Community Action who facilitiates the group, said.
The survey data collected is then used to measure how students feel about particular issues and what they consider wrong or right. Those statistics are compared to a second set of questions that ask how students think their peers feel about the same issues or acts.
You can reach Tom Relihan at:
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