Youth Discrimination Based on Appearance

Abstract

People sometimes feel that their rights have been violated or their dignity attacked in some of their social relationships. This is most often reported by young people. Young people are much more sensitive to different forms of ostracism than adults, and are particularly sensitive to attacks on their self-image: they complain more of humiliation than injustice or rights violation. Young people, particularly large girls and thin boys, believe that their physical appearance is the main reason for the ostracism that they experience. Yet young girls are more sensitive to this kind of ostracism than boys, and experiencing it reduces their chances of developing personal relationships. Racism is another form of discrimination linked to appearance. One in four young people of non-European origin declare being a victim of ill treatment due to their foreign origins. The intensity of this feeling of discrimination varies according to origin and gender.Appearance, Labelling, Youth, Racism