Stigma of a Label

Abstract

Poorer outcomes for youth labeled with learning disabilities (LDs) are often attributed to the student's own deficiencies or cumulative disadvantage; but the more troubling possibility is that special education placement limits rather than expands these students' opportunities. Labeling theory partially attributes the poorer outcomes of labeled persons to stigma related to labels. This study uses data on approximately 11,740 adolescents and their schools from the Education Longitudinal Survey of 2002 to determine if stigma influences teachers' and parents' educational expectations for students labeled with LDs and labeled adolescents' expectations for themselves. Supporting the predictions of labeling theory, teachers and parents are more likely to perceive disabilities in, and hold lower educational expectations for labeled adolescents than for similarly achieving and behaving adolescents not labeled with disabilities. The negative effect of being labeled with LDs on adolescents' educational expectations is partially mechanized through parents' and particularly teachers' lower expectations.

The Stigma Complex

“…More mixed methods were employed (Green 2003), and there was a greater focus on those with lived experience (Dinos et al 2004, Lysaker et al 2007, Ritsher & Phelan 2004, Schulze & Angermeyer 2003). Outcomes research targeted the effect of stigma on social adaptation and recovery (Clark et al 2004, Link & Phelan 2006, Perlick et al 2001, Yanos et al 2008), self-esteem and related social psychological dispositions (Corrigan et al 2006, Inzlicht et al 2006, Lysaker et al 2007, Major & O’Brien 2005), physiological effects (Hatzenbuehler 2009), violence (Silton et al 2011), educational outcomes (Grollman 2012, Guyll et al 2010, McLeod & Kaiser 2004, McLeod et al 2012, Shifrer 2013), and even the migration of health and welfare providers in the face of stigmatized illness spread (Kohi et al 2010). From a more medical perspective, whether stigma affected help-seeking (Kalichman & Simbayi 2003, Komiti et al 2006, Mojtabai 2010, Schomerus & Angermeyer 2008, Sirey et al 2001, Vogel et al 2007) or adherence with prescribed treatments (Livingston & Boyd 2010, Tsang et al 2010, Ware et al 2006) continued to be a critical issue.…”

Do disabilities impede the use of information and communication technologies? Findings of a repeated cross-sectional study – 2003-2015

“…The basic idea of the social model is that PWD are not disabled by their impairments but by the disabling barriers they faced in society [ 37 , 66 ]. PWD are excluded in many domains of life, with consequences impacting their health and wealth [ 44 , 74 ]. Viewed from the perspective of the social model, which stresses the interaction between the social environment and individuals with disabilities, it is inevitable that the Internet functions within the boundaries of extant social conditions and inequities [ 37 ].…”

Teachers' Implicit Attitudes Toward Students From Different Social Groups: A Meta-Analysis

“…These students also do less well-academically and are more likely to repeat a grade (Landrum et al, 2003). Teachers have lower academic expectations for students with learning or behavioral difficulties Shifrer, 2013;Hafen et al, 2015), which in turn may influence their decision making and hence contribute to educational inequalities. A third group being disadvantaged in educational attainment concerns students who are overweight or obese.…”