School-Induced Shame: A Qualitative Analysis of College Freshmen’s K-12 Shame Experiences

This qualitative inquiry investigates shame theory and how societal shaming practices manifest themselves in our schools, examining specifically the negative effects of shame on human development. The researcher sought to understand the school-induced shaming experiences of recent high school graduates attending a four-year state university in the southern United States. Sixty-one college freshmen participated in the study. Written accounts of these individuals’ shame experiences were collected with 9 participants interviewed individually and in a focus group setting. By analyzing the school-induced shaming experiences of these individuals, the researcher was able to identify school practices, teacher actions, and peer-interactions that induce feelings of shame in children