John is an ex-con who moves to a rural town after being let out of prison. He has moved there so that no one will know his identity and what he has done in the past. John is an example of a person with a(n) _____________________________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

John is trying to hide his past and keep his identity a secret, which is characteristic of someone with a discreditable stigma. This is different from a discredited stigma, where the person's stigmatizing trait is already known to others. While John's past crime would fall under the category of a criminal stigma, the specific type of stigma he is dealing with is discreditable. An invisible stigma refers to a stigma that is not immediately apparent to others, such as a mental illness or chronic health condition that is not visible.

John Is an Ex-Con Who Moves to a Rural Town