Psychotherapist: Using ‘Slurs’ like ‘Nerd,’ ‘Geek,’ ‘Egghead’ — and Even ‘Smarty-Pants’ — Against High-IQ People Should Be Hate Crimes

A United Kingdom psychology lecturer and psychotherapist said using “slurs” against those with high IQs — such as “nerd” or “geek” or “egghead” — should be called hate crimes, the Telegraph reported.

Sonja Falck has studied the impact of bullying on high-IQ children and the “divisive and humiliating” anti-IQ terms should be categorized the same as homophobic, racial, and religious slurs in the U.K. — and are hate crime’s “last taboo,” the outlet added.

'Nerd' and 'geek' insults should be classed as hate crimes, academic claims – University of East London psychology lecturer and psychotherapist Dr Sonja Falck featured in @Telegraph https://t.co/zLlTnfPiev

— Psychology at UEL (@UELPsychLondon) December 18, 2019

. . .Her recent research on the subject can be found in her new book, “Extreme Intelligence” — and at the book’s launch Falck said the next government must take legislative action to force societal change, the outlet said.

“The N-word was common parlance in the U.K. until at least the 1960s. Other insulting slurs about age, disability, religion, and gender identity remained in widespread use until relatively recently. Society at the time turned a blind eye to their impact by passing them off as harmless banter. It is only with the benefit of hindsight and academic research that we realize how wrong we were. The same can be said about anti-IQ words like ‘nerd,’ ‘brainbox,’ ‘geek,’ ‘egghead,’ ‘smart-arse,’ ‘dweeb,’ and ‘smarty-pants,'” she said, according to the Telegraph. “Slurs such as these will continue to be used unabated at the expense of the brightest members of society unless and until legislative action is taken.” (Read more from “Psychotherapist: Using ‘Slurs’ like ‘Nerd,’ ‘Geek,’ ‘Egghead’ — and Even ‘Smarty-Pants’ — Against High-IQ People Should Be Hate Crimes” HERE)

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