A resource pack on “Stereotyping of Young People”‘ was launched today (March 12th from 2pm) by Brendan Smith TD, Minister for Children. The resource pack was developed by the Equality Authority and the National Youth Council of Ireland. It was launched in the Equality Authority. Representatives of the Fair Say Campaign which is working to challenge the representation of young people in the media also spoke at the launch.
Niall Crowley, CEO of the Equality Authority, highlighted that “It is important that we develop a strong and coherent strategy to challenge and eliminate the stereotyping of young people if we are to achieve equality for young people. Stereotyping of young people is widespread. Negative stereotypes that portray young people as threatening, irresponsible and given to excess, diminish young people. Positive stereotypes that portray young people as idealistic and dynamic patronise young people. All stereotypes disempower young people by attributing fixed characteristics to all young people. These stereotypes can underpin inequality for young people.”
The resource pack developed by the Equality Authority and the National Youth Council of Ireland is designed to encourage and support young people and young people’s organisations to challenge the stereotyping of young people.
The resource pack includes a range of activities to:
- Enable young people to understand stereotyping and its impact on equality for young people
- Support young people to identify and respond to stereotyping of young people and to stereotyping of other groups by young people
- Empower young people and young people’s organisations to develop strategies and to take action to challenge stereotyping of young people by the media, in their local communities, by the Gardaí, security staff at commercial venues, at school and by politicians.
James Doorley, Assistant Director of the National Youth Council of Ireland stated at the launch: “This pack is an essential resource for youth workers and those that work with young people across the country. We hope it will enable anyone that deals with young people to teach them about stereotyping and learn positive and effective ways to address the issue.”
The Equality Authority and the National Youth Council of Ireland have previously published research on the stereotyping of young people. This stereotyping has been identified:
- In the media, where the portrayal of young people was seen by young people as simplistic, unfair and very negative
- In local communities where young people saw adults associating them with ‘hassle’
- In relationships with the Gardaí where young people held the view that the Gardaí had a poor opinion of and little respect for young people
- In commercial venues where staff, in particular security staff, were seen by young people as automatically regarding them as suspect
- At school where the main concern of young people was about how little say they had in decision making and in how schools were run
- In interactions with politicians where the predominant view of young people was that politicians saw them as unimportant.
Niall Crowley highlighted that “We hope that the resource pack will be widely used by young people and their organisations to challenge the stereotyping of young people. However, their response will only be effective if it forms part of a wider response to the stereotyping of young people. The starting point for this wider response should be the removal of the lower age limit to the age ground as defined under the Equal Status Act. This would allow the Equality Authority to challenge harassment or discrimination against young people under eighteen on the age ground in the provision of goods and services, accommodation and education. This challenge will be important in addressing the impact of stereotyping of young people and to securing an end to such stereotyping.”
ENDS