Children can suffer from a climate of prejudice. Prejudice creates social and emotional tension and can lead to fear and anxiety and violence too. Prejudice can undermine the self-esteem and self-confidence of those being ridiculed and make them feel terrible, unaccepted and unworthy. When that happens, their school performance often drops or suffers. They may become depressed and socially withdrawn and childhood can become a much less happy time.
It is critical that a child is helped by dealing with diversity in a positive way. Prejudice is learned at a very young age from parents, other children and people and institutions outside of the family. By about 4 years of age, children are aware of differences among people, primarily in characteristics like appearance, language and names, but later they are aware of religious and cultural distinctions as well. To some extent, children begin to define and identify themselves through their understanding of these personal differences. This is normal.
As youngsters try to make sense of these individual distinctions, they may hear and accept simplified stereotypes about others. When that happens, they not only develop distorted views of the youngsters and adults they encounter in daily life, but they may start to deny and overlook the common, universal human elements and traits that would bring people together and live in harmony. As a result, intolerance may develop where there should be friendship.
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