We’ve ALL done it…..a kid in our class gets head lice and our mind starts jumping to conclusions, like ah, I bet it’s due to poor hygiene in the home, or worse – negligent parents. But let’s bust these MYTHS now. And while doing so, let’s also tackle an insidious health challenge known as STIGMA. What’s Stigma? A stigma implies social disapproval and can lead unfairly to discrimination against and exclusion of the individual, according to the APA. A child with a lice infestation, and especially those with recurring infestations may be embarrassed and ashamed due to the public stigma around lice. Yet not properly understanding and addressing the processes of stigmatization in the school setting can be very damaging and problematic for school culture. Stigmatizing language about head lice infestations creates and encourages disgust, bullying, and discrimination. This triple threat often causes kids to suffer from internalized shame and hate. If you witness taunting and embarrassment, know that these are signs of the stigmatization process. The good news? As an educator and perhaps also a fellow parent you have WAY more influence than you think when it comes to outsmarting stigmatizing language and encouraging healthy discussions. First, identify language that stigmatizes children or families who are dealing with head lice infestation. Second, be sensitive when communicating with children and families who have head lice recurrences. Third, although not a medical emergency, head lice removal can be a major time burden, and costly too. For parents, missed school, time off work, and failed treatments are extremely frustrating, so it is best to partner with families to troubleshoot the best, most cost-effective methods and common myths. More on that in the next digital short, but test your knowledge of our key takeaways here — that verbal communication, word choice, facial expressions and body language — play a HUGE role in building judgment-free trust, and stigma-free kids and families.