ADL Articles

December 20, 2016 » Follow All Posts On Our Top 10 List As 2016 draws to a close, the Anti-Defamation League is counting down the major milestones we accomplished this year in the fight against hate. Here’s a look at some highlights from our education division: Demand for ADL’s education programs and curriculum increased substantially in 2016, as educators, families and community leaders sought ways to help young people feel safe&nbsp…

December 16, 2016 » Follow All Posts On Our Top 10 List As 2016 draws to a close, the Anti-Defamation League is counting down the major milestones we accomplished this year in the fight against hate. In the aftermath of the 2016 presidential campaign, we witnessed a series of disturbing hate crimes targeting Jews, African-Americans, Muslims, members of the LGBTQ community and others following Election Day.  This, as white supremacists and those…

December 07, 2016 Something special is happening this year at Oceanside Middle School, located in a small suburb on Long Island, NY—the entire school has committed to reducing the number of bias and bullying incidents at their school. Oceanside Middle School is one of five schools nationwide to pilot No Place for Hate Plus, a program which aims to take anti-bias and bullying prevention work to another level by working to create an inclusive community where respect is the norm,…

by: Jinnie Array November 09, 2016   The outcome of the lengthy, emotional and controversial 2016 presidential election campaign can be difficult to sort out, especially for young people. We know that children and teens were more engaged than ever in the current campaign and they had a lot to say about it.  Now, it’s time to support them in processing their feelings, understanding what happened and thinking together about what to do next. Whether you are a…

by: David Robbins May 11, 2016 Ed Blumenthal is fighting anti-Semitism and hate with everything he’s got—including his legs. His late father, Ernie Blumenthal, escaped from Nazi Vienna in 1938, but luckily found a home in Philadelphia. His grandfather barely escaped some time later. To honor the memory of his father, who died recently from pancreatic cancer, and to raise awareness of that illness and of anti-Semitism and hate, Ed rode his bike from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, a…

March 15, 2016   The political discourse has reached a point where we have to ask ourselves: What should we tell our children?  Young people watch and emulate what adults say and do. For that reason, many adults—parents, neighbors, teachers, caregivers and yes, even politicians—are role models to children.  These values—using accurate and appropriate language, standing up for one’s beliefs, checking ourselves when it comes to bias and…

by: Oren Segal July 29, 2014 If you have been reviewing any number of parenting or education blogs lately, you’ll see headlines proclaiming the menace and dangers of technology.  Technology, and more specifically, social media and mobile apps are often treated like “monsters” to guard against and the creators of all matter of social ills.  Even if technology is scary and daunting to some adults, for youth it is a necessary and positive part of life.  In…

by: Mark Onofrio March 17, 2014 A teacher raises his hand in A World of Difference® Institute training and says, "I like to kid around with my students." He says, "I like to have fun in my class so they are more likely to come to me when they need help."   He calls one student his “favorite Mexican,” another student “Dopey” and the only African-American student “MLK” (short for Martin Luther King Jr.) This well-intentioned…

January 21, 2014 The phrase "that’s so gay" has persisted as a way for students to describe things they do not like, find annoying or generally want to put down, while it is promising that fewer students are hearing homophobic slurs than in previous years. The phrase is used so commonly that many students no longer recognize it as homophobic because it is “what everyone says.” When educators and other adults intervene, common student responses include “I was just…

by: Mark Onofrio January 07, 2014 Youth are the real experts on what is happening in bullying on school campuses, and yet their voices, perspectives and leadership are rarely integrated into bullying prevention programs. “Just ask the kids” is the tagline for a new book highlighting research from the Youth Voice Project, the first large-scale research project on bullying and peer mistreatment that did exactly that—ask the kids (more than 13,000 teens in 31 schools). …

by: Mark Onofrio January 18, 2013 Over the past few years the media has covered many stories about cyberbullying and its detrimental effects on youth.  The research, and our own experiences, make it clear that cyberbullying hurts the youth targeted and creates a negative experience for those who witness the behavior.   We also know that youth are often targeted online because of their identity, including their weight, real or perceived sexual orientation, gender expression,…

by: Mark Onofrio January 11, 2013 Applications for smartphones and tablets have become an emerging segment of the online and entertainment industry.  As with videos, blogs and social networking platforms which came before, Apps are now being created that some consider funny, but which  actually cross the line from humorous to offensive.  Recent examples include two free apps on Google called “Make Me Asian” and “Make Me Indian,” that allow users to edit…