Microaggressions and Implicit Bias

By VeriScorePrep Team · 4 min

Microaggressions are subtle, often unintended verbal, behavioral, or environmental slights that communicate derogatory messages to members of marginalized groups. Implicit bias is the unconscious attitudes that drive many of them.

Examples

• Assuming a person of color is a service worker, not a professional.
• Complimenting a person of color for being "articulate."
• Misgendering after being corrected.
• Asking where someone is "really from."
• Following a customer in a store based on race.

Each instance may seem minor; the cumulative weight is significant and well-documented.

Implicit bias

Unconscious associations that affect perception and behavior. We all have them — awareness, not denial, mitigates their impact. Strategies:

• Slow down decisions — bias thrives on speed.
• Replace stereotypes with individuating information.
• Use structured decision-making tools.
• Seek contact with people from groups you have bias against, in non-transactional contexts.

Worker self-reflection

Examining one's own implicit biases is ongoing work, not a one-time training. Use supervision, journaling, and feedback to surface them.

Impact on clients

Microaggressions from helpers erode trust, increase stress, and contribute to health disparities. The NASW Code requires attention to cultural competence and the impact of oppression.

Naming microaggressions when they occur — in yourself, your team, and your systems — with humility and a focus on correction, not defensiveness, is the practice.