Brazzil

Hi,
I was wondering if there were any comparisons with other countries with respect to prejudice in schools? My days at school date back 30 years to another time and country in the pacific, but I would not be surprised if they were similar to what has been discovered in Brasil.
But I certainly did not consider my generation unduly prejudicial, racial, or abnormal. Just thats the way you perceived things when you were that age. And as you grew older, you grow more broad minded, tolerant, respectful, as a result of your education and experiences in life.

Take a look at the information found on this site. Very interesting dealing with hate crime in North America amongst teens, although there are no comparison as a group of countries. I copied parts of the article.

http://educationalissues.suite101.com/article.cfm/hate_motivated_crimes_in_schools.


Hate-Crime Rates are Higher Among Youth

School bullying is an overlooked hate crime. According to the 2003 National Crime Victimization Survey, young people aged 12 to 17 account for a significant proportion of the country's hate crimes-both as perpetrators and as victims. In Canada, 14% of elementary school children suffered intimidation on the basis of their race. Primarily, most hate crimes were committed by young men.

Shockingly, nearly one third of high school students are forced to deal with potential violence, most of it hate-motivated. In Canada, Calgary has the highest rate of hate-motivated crime (National Crime Victimization Survey). These attacks instill fear among students and serve to exclude victims from society at large.

More Than Half of Hate-Crimes Motivated by Sexual Orientation are Violent


“More than one-half, or 56%, of incidents provoked by hatred towards a particular sexual orientation are violent,” states the National Center for Educational Statistics and Bureau of Justice Statistics in their 1998 report entitled “Indicators of School Crime and Safety.” Consequently, these incidents are more likely than other types of hate crime incidents to result in physical injury to victims.

No school can possibly accomplish the elimination of harassment and hate crime without a strong, continuing partnership with staff, parents, students, and the community. Prejudice and the resulting violence can be reduced or even eliminated by instilling in children an appreciation and respect for each other's differences, and by helping them to develop empathy, conflict resolution, and critical thinking skills.

Hate crime is a behaviour which is learned. It is learned from family members, friends, peer-groups and the media. By teaching children that even subtle forms of hate are inherently wrong, more extreme acts of hate can be prevented in the future. Students learn that their choices and actions can have an impact.



The copyright of the article Hate-Motivated Crimes in Schools in Educational Issues is owned by Kimberley Powell. Permission to republish Hate-Motivated Crimes in Schools in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.


http://educationalissues.suite101.com/article.cfm/hate_motivated_crimes_in_schools#ixzz0JObo0hOd&D