Page 7 - Challenging Discriminatory Language Pocket Book

• In some cases, young people's self-image can be

seriously damaged by the prejudice they experience,

resulting in feelings of shame, affecting their

relationships with others and undermining their

confidence and mental health.

When left unaddressed, discriminatory language/

behaviour in the learning environment can have the

following impacts on learner who are not directly

affected by these issues:

• Negative impacts on their values and attitudes,

making it difficult for them to appreciate and respect

the diverse range of people they will meet and

interact with in their lives

• Tensions in relationships over young people's

decisions to challenge (or not challenge)

discriminatory language/behaviour faced by friends

and fellow learners

• Perceptions that prejudice, disrespect, discrimination,

harassment and victimisation will not be addressed,

increasing the risk of experiencing discrimination for

all learners and reluctance to report incidents of

discriminatory language or behaviour

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