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At times children and young people are at the receiving end of prejudice in our society. Young people can feel as though they are persecuted in the press or by some adults for always causing anti social behaviour, being linked with crime and offending and at times treated as second class citizens, patronised by some adults and services. As young people, and the next generation in the UK, you are entitled to equality under the law. Your views are crucial and important in helping to develop and build a society which takes the views of everyone on board. Only by doing this can we change and improve our society, make it a better place, and all achieve our potential. Examples of prejudice against young people
A recent National Children’s Bureau’s survey investigating how child friendly the UK is, found that 50% of adults said that they felt threatened by groups of teenagers hanging around in the streets and public places. Almost 1 in 10 young people said they rarely felt welcome in places such as shops, restaurants and leisure centres. The survey also found that 53% think England is friendly towards children, but the figure drops to 36% where teenagers are concerned, with over a quarter considering that the UK is not friendly towards teenagers. What causes prejudice against young people? In our society today there is a big gap between the ideas and attitudes that different generations, cultures or sub-cultures have, between young people and adults for example. Without discussion and communication between generations and different groups this gap can cause a breakdown in communication, frustration and provoke hostility between the generations. Many people, when they get older and become adults, forget what it was like to be a young person, and how they behaved when they were young, always insisting that they know best. It is therefore important to understand that being young means that young people themselves may not yet have experienced as much as adults and may not understand where adults are coming from. Without understanding and tolerance of different groups and different ages, prejudice can come about and people, both young and old, can start stereotyping and generalising about others in society. This adds to the breakdown in communication and encourages prejudice against others. See the ‘Prejudice’ and ‘Respect & Relationships’ pages on this website for more information. What young people can do The most important thing young people can do, is no matter what happens or what prejudice you might come across from others because you are young, you shouldn’t fall into the same trap. Be wary of stereotypes and over generalising about others. Try to understand others views and talk to them about it. Communication, tolerance and respect is the best way to combat and change any prejudice you might come across. Knowing about your rights, about equality and how you can participate and influence change is also key to helping to stamp out prejudice. If you want to find out more about these issues talk to a teacher, connexions PA, youth worker or one of the youth advice centres in the city. Alternatively you can get involved in equality issues in the city by contacting the Brighton & Hove Youth Council or YAP (Youth Advocacy and Participation) Brighton & Hove Youth Council 11 Queens Square, Brighton, BN1 3FD Tel: (01273) 295464 e-mail: youth.council@brighton-hove.gov.uk Brighton & Hove Youth & Advocacy Project 11 Queens Square, Brighton, BN1 3FD Tel: (01273) 295510 Website: www.bhyap.org.uk/ Remember, if someone treats you with prejudice, like a security guard, police officer, teacher or anyone, you should always tell someone about it and make a complaint. Only reporting any concerns you have and by challenging prejudice against yourself and other young people can changes be made. |
