Cultivating Belongingness in a Summer Treatment Program (STP): Empowering Clinicians to Address Microaggressions Made by Children

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background The standard procedures outlined in the Summer Treatment Program (STP) provide limited guidance on how clinicians should respond when children engage in biased or ignorant actions. As clinicians continue to implement the STP with more diverse groups of students, then they should know how to effectively address behaviours that interfere with cultivating belongingness within these environments. Objective In this brief report, we outline novel clinical procedures developed at our STP to empower clinicians to effectively respond to any witnessed microaggressions made by children. Method A deducative approach to thematic analysis was used to identify themes across eligible microaggressions. This included categorizing eligible microaggressions according to the protected classes outlined in federal law. Results There were 304 microaggressions documented by clinicians in a single summer. Of these microaggressions that were eligible for further analysis, all of them aligned with the protected classes outlined in federal law. Microaggressions involving biased or ignorant actions towards someone’s gender identity, sexual orientation, or racial identity were most common. Conclusion Children engaged in microaggressoins across the day, throughout all activities, and towards both other children and adults. This brief report provides preliminary evidence for incorporating novel clinical procedures within the STP to address these behaviours when they occur. Implications for practice and research are discussed.