It seems that almost every day President Trump says something completely outrageous that catches daily news feeds. However, after the constant hate crimes and attempted attacks that seemed to be fueled by his hate speech, there has been a shift in politics and even in how Americans interact with each other.

The constant bullying and vengeful rhetoric that Trump portrays through his tweets and his speeches have become almost normalized in our society so much so that it has created a negative impact on educators and students. Trumps needs to be held accountable for his actions.   

Since Trump was elected into office, the media has reported more hate crimes and attacks. In the days after the 2016 election, the Southern Poverty Law Center reported that 900 incidents, including hate crimes, occurred. In October a man sent out packaged pipe bombs to several notable political figures including both former presidents. All of these political figures, like Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama,  were subject to Trump’s hate speech. That same week, a deadly mass shooting occurred at a synagogue in Pittsburgh. The shooter, although he proclaimed to not be a Trump supporter, spouted his fear of a caravan arriving in the U.S. from Mexico. Although correlation doesn’t equal causation, many tie Trump’s racially and religiously dividing speech to certain attacks like this.

So how does this affect our schools? In a study done by the SPLC, it was found that 90 percent of educators saw a negative impact on their student’s behavior and mood after the election. There was also an increase in anxiety in minority students, including Muslims, African Americans and LGBT students. Educators also reported harassment that was directly related to election talk.

The “Trump Effect” has caused many students to be emboldened by his hate speech. One reason why Trump gained so much support was due to his unfiltered tone that did not follow political correctness. Support from many hate groups such as white nationalists shows that the things Trumps says, even unintentionally, encourage hate speech. Similarly, the SPLC reported that teachers believed that students were influenced to use slurs and offensive statements.

Trump effects on bullying comes from the Trump administration constantly target minority groups constantly being targeted by Trump’s own speech. The SPLC report concluded that 10,000 educators believed that the “Trump Effect” was becoming a nationwide problem.

This hate speech does influence our society, most notably  our schools. While the media has been criticized for the constant coverage on Trump, his actions should not be overlooked. As a student who goes to a school that is majority minority, Trump’s speech can be damaging to targeted populations like Hispanics, women and Muslims. Being a member of the free press as well as a young woman of color it is disheartening to see hate crimes that fall in line with Trump’s speech.

However, when media outlets take a stance against his rhetoric, people band together against his hate and schools educate our youth on embracing diversity it is a reflection that society’s values have not been tarnished by his repetitive remarks.