Stephanie Elms

This seemed like an interesting site...I have only starting poking
around on it...

-----Original Message-----

UNDERSTANDING ADULTISM
To be successful in our work with young people, we must understand a
particular condition of youth: that young people are often mistreated
and disrespected simply because they are young. The word "adultism"
refers to
behaviors and attitudes based on the assumption that adults are better
than young people, and entitled to act upon young people without their
agreement, writes John Bell. This mistreatment is reinforced by social
institutions, laws, customs, and attitudes. If you think about it, you
will realize that except for prisoners and a few other institutionalized
groups, young people are more controlled than any other group in
society.
As children, most young people are told what to eat, what to wear, when
to go to bed, when they can talk, that they will go to school, which
friends are okay, and when they are to be in the house. Even as they
grow older, the opinions of most young people are not valued; they are
punished at the will or whim of adults; their emotions are considered
"immature." In addition, adults reserve the right to punish, threaten,
hit, take away "privileges," and ostracize young people when such
actions are deemed to be instrumental in controlling or disciplining
them. If this were a description of the way a group of adults was
treated, we would all agree that their oppression was almost total.
However, for the most part, the adult world considers this treatment of
young people as acceptable because we were treated in much the same way,
and internalized the idea that "that's the way you treat kids." For this
reason, writes Bell, we need to hold adultism up to a strong light.
http://www.freechild.org/bell.htm

Kay Alina

Thanks Stephanie. I enjoyed that very much. I forwarded it to a friend who is a high school teacher. I thought it might be a great topic of discussion for her class. I have always been infuriated over the disrespect shown to little people. Especially infants. Their minds to me are amazing and people "goo-goo" at them. Idiots. Anyway, I appreciate you sharing this. I am a big believer in the only way we get the keys to the kingdom of heaven is with the heart of a child. Perhaps, with freechild.org a few less hearts will be crushed. Thanks again.
Kay

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