Prejudices Kids Learn in Elementary School

1.) Religious prejudice- Most kids learn about different religions in America when it comes time for the holidays.  Jewish kids celebrate Hanukkah, and Christian kids celebrate Christmas.  While they may not feel negatively about each other, they immediately notice a difference.  In religious areas, kids who go to Sunday school together know each other.  Kids from Atheist families are immediately singled out as different because they don’t have this in common.

2.) Racial prejudice- Kids will notice that other kids are of different races.  Normally, this would be fine, as it’s always good for kids to be around racial diversity.  But even racially tolerant children can learn from their more racist counterparts.  They may not understand that their racist classmates are treating minority students differently because of their race, but they grow to dislike them too, in order to fit in, without realizing it’s racism.

3.) Sexuality prejudice- Because most kids have straight parents, they learn early on that a man is supposed to marry a woman.  If they see a kid with gay or lesbian parents, this sparks immediate questioning of whether or not that’s “okay”.  Even if their parents raise them to believe it’s okay, they are likely to meet other kids in school who come from homophobic backgrounds.  And let’s not forget hearing “You’re gay” on the playground.