蜜桃传媒

The report 鈥� The Trump Effect: The Impact of the Presidential Campaign on Our Nation鈥檚 Schools 鈥� found that the campaign is producing an alarming level of fear and anxiety among children of color and inflaming racial and ethnic tensions in the classroom. Many students worry about being deported.

Teachers also reported an increase in the bullying, harassment and intimidation of students whose races, religions or nationalities have been the verbal targets of candidates.

鈥淲e鈥檙e deeply concerned about the level of fear among minority children who feel threatened by both the incendiary campaign rhetoric and the bullying they鈥檙e encountering in school,鈥� said 蜜桃传媒 President Richard Cohen. 鈥淲e鈥檝e seen Donald Trump behave like a 12-year-old, and now we鈥檙e seeing 12-year-olds behave like Donald Trump.鈥�

The online survey, conducted by the 蜜桃传媒鈥檚 Teaching Tolerance project from March 23 to April 2, is not scientific. But it provides a rich source of information about the impact of this year鈥檚 election on the country鈥檚 classrooms. The data, including 5,000 comments from educators, shows a disturbing nationwide problem, one that is particularly acute in schools with high concentrations of minority children.

• More than two-thirds of the teachers reported that students 鈥� mainly immigrants, children of immigrants and Muslims 鈥� have expressed concerns or fears about what might happen to them or their families after the election.
• More than half have seen an increase in uncivil political discourse.
• More than third have observed an increase in anti-Muslim or anti-immigrant sentiment.
• More than 40 percent are hesitant to teach about the election.

While the survey did not identify candidates, more than 1,000 comments mentioned Donald Trump by name. In contrast, a total of fewer than 200 contained the names Ted Cruz, Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton. More than 500 comments contained the words 鈥渇ear,鈥� 鈥渟cared,鈥� 鈥渁fraid,鈥� 鈥渁nxious,鈥� or 鈥渢errified鈥� to describe the campaign鈥檚 impact on minority students.

鈥淢y students are terrified of Donald Trump,鈥� wrote a teacher from a middle school with a large population of African-American Muslims. 鈥淭hey think that if he鈥檚 elected, all black people will get sent back to Africa.鈥�

In state after state, teachers reported similar fears.

A K-3 teacher in Oregon said her black students are 鈥渃oncerned for their safety because of what they see on TV at Trump rallies.鈥� In Tennessee, a kindergarten teacher said a Latino child 鈥� told by classmates that he will be deported and blocked from returning home by a wall 鈥� asks every day, 鈥淚s the wall here yet?鈥�

A number of teachers reported that students are using the word 鈥淭rump鈥� as a taunt or chant as they gang up on others. Muslim children are being called 鈥渢errorist,鈥� or 鈥淚SIS,鈥� or 鈥渂omber.鈥� One teacher wrote that a fifth-grader told a Muslim student 鈥渢hat he was supporting Donald Trump because he was going to kill all of the Muslims if he became president!鈥�

Educators, meanwhile, are perplexed and conflicted about what to do. They report being stymied by the need to remain nonpartisan but disturbed by the anxiety in their classrooms and the lessons that children may be absorbing from this campaign.

鈥淪chools are finding that their anti-bullying work is being tested and, in many places, falling apart,鈥� said Teaching Tolerance Director Maureen Costello, author of the report. 鈥淢ost teachers seem to feel they need to make a choice between teaching about the election or protecting their kids. In elementary school, half have decided to avoid it. In middle and high schools, we鈥檙e seeing more who have decided, for the first time, not to be neutral.鈥�

The long-term impact on children鈥檚 wellbeing, their behavior or their civic education is impossible to gauge. Some teachers report that their students are highly engaged and interested in the political process this year. Others worry that the election is making them 鈥渓ess trusting of government鈥� or 鈥渉ostile to opposing points of view,鈥� or that children are 鈥渓osing respect for the political process.鈥�

The 蜜桃传媒 urged educators to not abandon their teaching about the election, to use instances of incivility as teaching moments, and to support children who are hurt, confused or frightened by what they鈥檙e hearing from the candidates.