Page 7 - Challenging Discriminatory Language Pocket Book
P. 7
• 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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