Groups analyze results of survey on anti-Asian bullying

Ethan Yang, 11, holds a sign reading “racism is the disease” during a “Kids vs. Racism” rally against anti-Asian hate crimes at Hing Hay Park in the Chinatown-International District of Seattle, Washington, U.S. March 20, 2021. REUTERS

WASHINGTON — Advocacy groups analyzed survey findings for insights and recommendations for tackling bullying and racism, after the surge in anti-Asian hate crimes and discrimination driven by rampant misinformation and conspiracy theories about COVID-19.

Act To Change and Stop AAPI Hate, joined together for Data Convos to break down the results of the 2021 Asian American Bullying Survey Report.

Based on responses from more than 300 AAPI youth, survey findings highlight a dramatic rise in bullying in 2020 among Asian American youth.

Highlights from the survey findings include:

The bullying of Asian American youth is uncomfortably normalized. 80% of Asian Americans have experienced bullying, in-person, or online.

Cyberbullying affecting Asian Americans in 2020 surged to unprecedented levels.Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and racist tropes blaming Asian Americans, 70% of Asian American youth experienced or witnessed an increase in cyberbullying in 2020.

Asian Americans are significantly less likely to report bullying to an adult than their peers are, potentially due to cultural barriers and lack of trust in adults and schools. 38% of Asian Americans told an adult about the bullying, compared to 63% of non-Asian Americans.

Parents, caregivers, and educators of Asian American youth lack the necessary knowledge or tools to handle and fight the bullying. About ⅓ of adults did not take action after learning someone was bullied.

To prevent and tackle bullying among youth, particularly with the rise of anti-Asian hate, Act To Change and partners recommend action in the following areas:

• Spreading awareness and educating the public about the prevalence, severity, and impact of anti-Asian bullying on students, and call for change.

• Developing easily shareable and accessible resources/toolkits and school curriculums for Asian American children/teens, their caregivers and parents.
• Crafting programs that provide mental health and consultation services for bullied Asian American children who need help.
• Continuing the much-needed work in data collection and data disaggregation for Asian Americans. Comprehensive data is critical to representing the vast diversity of experiences in the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.