Identify The Different Types Of Prejudice And Discrimination

Types of prejudice and discrimination include:
• Racism
• Sexism
• Religious prejudice
• Cultural prejudice
• Ageism
• Ethnic prejudice
• Socioeconomic status (social standing or class)
• Disabilities – physical and mental
• Sectarianism (e.g. in Northern Ireland)
• Careism (many children in Foster Care feel discriminated against)

A child can be discriminated against for any reason, whether it is because of their size, the fact that they wear glasses or the colour of their hair or skin, religious beliefs, cultural or ethnic tradition.
The problem is that prejudice and discrimination seriously limits children's development and growth and can also lead to some children being left out and being denied the opportunity to develop friendships and
to learn new things. Prejudice also narrows children's horizons and makes them apprehensive of anything that is 'different'. Eventually it seems that everybody loses out from the effects of prejudice and discrimination.

If a child is picked on or treated unfairly because they are seen as different, and nothing is done about it, it can make them feel less confident about themselves and what they can achieve, it can also make them very angry and they might display threatening, uncaring behaviour or get into physical fights.

Prejudice is an opinion or attitude about a group of people that is based upon lack of understanding or incorrect information.
People can hold prejudiced attitudes about any group of others (i.e. men, women, Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Chinese people, Travellers, the elderly, people with particular disabilities, lesbians or gay men). People are prejudiced when they make assumptions about a person simply because of the group the person belongs to.
Some prejudices may sound positive and be well intentioned, examples of these include:
• “Black people are good at sport”.
• “All gay men are really sensitive and caring”.
But these assumptions are still patronising and wrong, because they encourage us to see all people from a particular group as the same rather than to accept that there are lots of differences within any group.

Unfortunately, prejudiced attitudes can all too often be found among children, even at a very young age. Research has shown that children are capable of holding prejudices and negative attitudes towards others from the age of three.
Children and young people are most likely to discriminate against other children because of a prejudice approach they may hold, for instance: not playing or associating with traveller children because it is believed that they are dirty or smelly, or a child who is deaf or has a speech impediment, may be assumed to have learning difficulties or be stupid.

Children might be victim of- or participating in name-calling, children might act unfair or plain nasty to others or children can be victim of such behaviour. Children might exclude other children or children might be victim of exclusion.
It could be that a girl thinks she cannot play football because the boys told her it is not a girls’ game.
Discrimination and showing prejudice is a form of
bullying.

All children and young people have the right to be treated equally irrespective of their race, colour of their skin, religion or ability, and it is our job to make sure nobody in our care suffers from discrimination or prejudice.