The child expressed it.
Tips for Conversation about Hate Speech
Your child expressed hate speech toward another gamer.
- Explain that you were notified that your child had used language that was considered ‘Hate Speech,’ defined as abusive language based on prejudice against someone for their race, gender, nationality, religion, or sexual orientation.
- Ask your child to think about what they may have said and share it with you. They may be too embarrassed or ashamed to tell you, and this is understandable. Approach the conversation calmly and let them know you would like to clarify your position and values related to hate speech.
- With younger children, they may have used hate speech without fully understanding the seriousness of it. Older children need to know that this kind of language can be considered harassment, which is a crime. Hate speech can be considered a crime if a person’s “verbal insult toward a group or a person includes a threat of violence or incite a criminal activity.” https://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/hate
- Find out why they used this language in the game rather than choosing other words. This is a good chance to discuss that general cursing would be less hurtful/less serious than cursing or insulting someone based on gender, race, etc.
- Hate Speech is often used to belittle someone else or exert power over them, and pre-teens (9-12) and teens should be taught not to respond this way to anyone, even when they’re angry.
- Think about your family values regarding hate speech and share them with your child. Here is an article that can help you with this conversation.
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