Words that Hurt and Why

In February 2013, One Act is launching a new glass cube in the Frank Porter Graham Student Union on the first floor which was inspired by University of California at Davis's LBGT Resource Center's poster, Words That Hurt and Why.

words that hurt cube

We hope this cube starts conversations about what kind of community we want to create, how to make it inclusive and accessible for everyone, and how to prevent and reduce harassment and violence. Language is one way we shape our community - what we say to each other, how we say it, to whom we say it.

One Act is interested in preventing identity-based and sexual harassment not only because they are problematic and hurtful, but also because we see them as violent behaviors included on the continuum of interpersonal violence we discuss in One Act training. We heard from students in the first year of our program that we needed to talk more about this topic. As we interact with people it is important to remember that we often make assumptions about others’ identities and believe these assumptions to be reality.

This cube will be complemented by a training for One Act trained students called Beyond Bullying: How Bystanders Can Prevent Identity Based and Sexual Harassment. This training draws on the bystander skills learned during One Act and expands the topics to harassment and discrimination, which is a sign and predictor of violence. The main objectives of that training will be:

Increased understanding of the consequences of identity-based harassment and the factors that enable it
Ability to identify identity-based harassment behaviors and warning signs of such behaviors
Increased confidence and willingness to take action to intervene in situations of discrimination and prevent identity-based harassment

When we talk about identity-based harassment, we mean harmful behavior which is

Based on someone’s perceived identity or identities
Unprovoked
Intentional
May be repeated
Involves a disparity of power, either by using an existing disparity or creating one
May be direct or indirect

This behavior often starts as a microgragression which escalates to harassment and violence when left unaddressed. We believe bystanders and friends can prevent violence by intervening when they see problematic behavior.

All members of the University community are encouraged to know relevant policies and how to respond to instances of bullying, harassment, or discrimination you may witness. Check out these resources for more information: