The More You Know

DIVERSITY/ANTI-PREJUDICE

"Hate. It gets passed on for generations. But any one of us...can turn it around..."
- John Krasinski, The Office

What You Should Know...

The United States is often referred to as a "melting pot" due to all the different backgrounds and cultures that make up its population. By teaching children to embrace the differences between people, parents can help prevent them from engaging in prejudicial stereotypes and discrimination against others.

Celebrating Diversity

Children recognize the differences between people at an early age. At six months, they begin to distinguish different skin colors and facial features, as they start to form their own individuality. Between the ages of three and five, children begin to ask questions about their own appearance and seek explanations for differences between people. Impressions formed during that time are lasting, so parents should respond to these questions with respect and honesty.

Parents can also help children understand diversity by exposing them to different kinds of people at an early age. While children need to understand the similarities that bind people together, they also need to learn to embrace differences and view diversity in a positive manner. Choose media and toys that embrace all backgrounds and cultures. These objects can be used to open discussion about differences like race and gender. Some parents assume that their child will catch on to what these differences mean themselves, but engaging children in conversation early may prevent them from forming skewed opinions that may lead to prejudiced views.

Parents should also help their child to have a positive self-image; children with a strong sense of identity are less likely to look down upon others. Children that have low self-esteem often put others down in order to raise their own confidence. Teaching children to value the differences between themselves and others will help them learn to appreciate their own qualities as well. Therefore, a child's perception of diversity is not only influenced by how they view others, but also by how they see themselves.

Overcoming Prejudice

Prejudice is a preconceived idea about people's differences due to race, religion, culture, gender, disability, appearance, language, sexual orientation or social status. Children are susceptible to forming stereotypes through their observation of acts of intolerance, including bigoted comments, threats and jokes. In social settings, children reveal their prejudicial views most often through name-calling and social exclusion. As they grow older, this behavior becomes harder to change. Open communication with parents can help them to understand the devastating effects of these occurrences and remarks.

Children who have been victims of prejudice are not only affected themselves, but they often react by hurting others. These actions only escalate into more hatred and violence, perpetuating even stronger prejudicial views. It is important to teach children to speak out against discrimination, as apathy can be seen as acceptance.

Prejudicial attitudes contribute to all hate crimes. While hate-motivated events do not always involve illegal actions, most include acts of name-calling and racial slurs. Since 33% of all known hate crime offenders are under the age of 18, it is important for both parents and teachers to start educating children about diversity and tolerance at an early age.

What You Can Do...

The more exposure your family has to different kinds of people, the easier it is for your child to explore and embrace these differences. Here are some tips on how to pass along messages of tolerance to your family.

Know your roots
Know about your own background and share your pride in it with others.

Share your customs
Invite friends of other backgrounds to share and experience your own traditions.

Say something
Speak out against jokes and comments that target certain groups; silence implies agreement.

Explore
Plan family outings to different neighborhoods in your community and visit local museums and exhibits that celebrate different art forms and cultures. Expose your children to diverse places and people.

Expand your mind
Read and encourage your children to read books that promote different backgrounds. Read stories from various authors and from other countries.

Set a good example
Children are imitators. Don't pass along hate or prejudice through your words or actions.

Educate your children
Teach your children that everyone is unique and to be sensitive to other people's opinions and emotions. Make sure they know that it is wrong to judge a person based on their ethnicity, gender, disability or appearance.

Be aware
Stay alert to signs of withdrawal, lack of interest, acting out, fear of school, or anything that deviates from your child's normal behavior.

To Know More...

Anti-Defamation League
www.adl.org

Tolerance.org
www.tolerance.org

DiversecityNBC
www.diversecitynbc.com/