What is a 'microaggression'?

Brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioural, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or not, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative slights and insults towards anyone that is part of a marginalized group or population.

- Dr Derald Sue

Microaggressions are indirect or subtle everyday comments, questions or behaviours which are hostile, derogatory or otherwise negative towards people of a marginalised group. A microagression can be directed at anyone from (or presumed to be from) a marginalised group, including people of colour, LGBTQUIA+ people, disabled people, and people of faith.

Microaggressions are often made unintentionally and can commonly go unnoticed or ignored by others, either because they do not recognise it as a microaggression or because they do not recognise microaggressions as harmful. Microaggressions might even be intended, or interpreted, as compliments.

You might also see microaggresions referred to as 'micro-incivilities' elsewhere.

What might microaggressions look like in practice?

Here are some examples of common micraoaggressions experienced by marginalised groups:

• A person of colour being told "your English is really good" even when they were born and grew up in the UK. Although the comment may be well-intended, it exposes an assumption that most people of colour have poor English skills and/or are not from the UK.
• An international student being asked if they have a nickname because "your name is too hard to pronounce". It implies that there is something wrong with their name, and that the person asking doesn't recognise the necessity of learning to pronounce their name. (For more on this, see the Say my Name project.)
• A person washing their hands after shaking hands with a gay or bisexual man, implying that he in unclean/dirty, or that he may have a communicable disease (including misconceptions about HIV and HIV transmission).
• A person of colour being asked "where are you really from?" when they say they're from somewhere within the UK. It implies that people of colour can't be British, and must be 'from' somewhere else in the world.
• A trans woman being told "you're so beautiful, I never would have known" when they come out to someone. It implies that perceptions of beauty are predominantly reserved for cis people/that trans people aren't beautiful.
• A person checking their valuables after sitting near a Black man, implying that he is likely to engage in criminal behaviour.
• A person using the phrase "that's so gay" to express disapproval or disappointment with something. This implies that being gay is something negative, or of lesser value.
• A person taking a large or heavy object from a women and carrying it without asking, on the assumption that it is too heavy for her. This implies that women cannot be strong enough for the task.

You can share examples of microaggressions you have experienced, or are aware of, via this web form. We will use these submissions to improve our understanding and resources.

Why do we need to address microaggressions?

We treat everyone with respect.

Everyone in our community has the right to be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their status, rank, grade, belief or any protected characteristic.

- University of Warwick principles

Our community values include respecting and valuing each other’s individuality, and not tolerating harmful behaviours, including microaggressions.

People who experience microaggressions are hurt by them, and when they do speak out they can be made to feel as if they were being too sensitive, dramatic or imagining it. People can experience microaggressions repeatedly, even on an everyday basis, which can be draining and isolating. Research has shown that experiencing microaggressions leads to loss of self-esteem, mistrust of peers/staff/institutions, decreased participation (and even dropping out), and elevated levels of depression.

It puts you in a box that you’re trying to get out of - in a stereotypical box - it limits your social interaction with other students, because if you’re stereotyped in a certain way people will expect you to behave in that frame.

- Edinburgh student

Staff and students at Keele University created this informative video about their experiences of microaggressions:

What can we do about microaggressions?

Microaggressions tend to be brief, and more subtle than other forms of harmful behaviour. To reduce microagggressions and their impact on members of our community we need to be able to:

• Grow our knowledge of what microaggressions look like, in order to recognise them when we witness them. This UCSC resource provides some useful insight on recognising microaggressions and the messages they send.
• Reflect on our own language and behaviours, so we can recognise and avoid microaggressions in our own behaviour.
• Avoid becoming defensive if someone raises concerns that something you have done is a microaggression, or you learn independently that something you have done is a microaggression. This Harvard Business Review article offers guidance on how to respond to being called out for a microaggression.
• Learn effective strategies for challenging microaggressions from others. Grow your knowledge, skills and confidence as an active bystander by engaging with bystander intervention courses and resources.
• Understand the support victims of microaggressions might need, and how we can offer or connect them with the support they need

What strategies are effective in response to microaggressions?

• Ask them to stop
  • "Please don't say that."
  • "Could you stop doing that please?"
• Ask for clarification or more information
  • "Could you explain what you mean?"
  • "What does that really mean though?"
  • "What made you feel you needed to do that?"
• Separate intent from impact and highlight the impact
  • "I know you didn't realise, but that's actually quite hurtful/offensive because..."
  • "You didn't mean to, but that hurt me/them because..."
• Share alternative language or behaviour
  • "You could just say ... instead, which is what I think you really meant."
  • "Could you phrase/frame that differently? How about ...?"
• Check their understanding
  • "Are you aware that what you just did is...?"
• Share your own experience and learning
  • "I used to say/do that too, but then I realised/learned that..."
• Express how it makes you (or others) feel
  • "When you say/do that, I/they feel really ..."
  • "That's actually quite hurtful to me/us/them."
• Challenge the stereotype
  • "Actually, in my experience..."
  • "I think that's just a stereotype to be honest. The reality is that..."
  • "Alternatively, you can look at it like..."
• Appeal to their values and principles
  • "I know you really care about [person, group, or principle] and what you said/did undermines that."
  • "If you're really their friend, and you want to support them, you should avoid what you just said/did."
• Promote empathy by asking how they or others they care for would feel
  • "I know you get frustrated/upset when people [make assumptions, use stereotypes, or act in a particular way] towards [person or group]. This is like that, except it's aimed at/hurts [people or group]."
  • "How would you feel if someone said that about/did that to your friend/family member?"
• Pretend you don't understand
  • "I don't get it. Can you explain?"
  • "Why is that funny?"
• Use humour or sarcasm
  • "She runs like a girl? You mean like Dame Kelly Holmes?"
• Remind them of our principles and policies and relevant consequences
  • "What you said isn't in line with our University principles or the Dignity at Warwick policy."
  • "Please don't say/do that, or you might face disciplinary action."

Adapted from: Goodman, D. (2011). Promoting Diversity and Social Justice: Educating People from Privileged Groups. New York: Routledge.

Did you find this resource helpful? Find out more about active bystander intervention, and explore how to develop your knowledge, skills and confidence as an active bystander here.