Adultism

Intro

Adultism is discrimination against young people. It happens anytime children or youth are ignored, silenced, neglected or punished because they are not adults. Every young person experiences adultism from the day they are born until the day the world around them recognizes them as an adult.

The Freechild Project believes that adultism is part of the structure of society and its institutions, including families, schools, churches and the government. 

Point to Ponder

Because of the long history of adultism and its pervasive nature in our societies, essentially all people suffer from this oppression.  The resulting internalized oppression and distress patterns are severe.  For example, adultism is expressed by treating the young person as weak, helpless and less intelligent than adults.  For many, there is verbal, physical, and sexual abuse. Oppression of young people conditions them to accept all other oppressions that exist in the society.  (Adapted from here)

Resources

The following resources are websites and publications Freechild has found that can help young people and adults understand adultism better, and work for social change in this area.

Publications & Websites

An outstanding article that helps explore adultism, written by long-time youth worker John Bell of YouthBuild.

Adultism is an "ism" too

This article is by Candice Swiderski and Stacey Palma of the Center for Youth Development in Connecticut.  The authors include the impacts of adultism and methods to overcome adultism.

Jodi Wright is the editor of Motherwear magazine.  In this article she details how parents are complicit in adultism and how we can fight adultism at home.

This university-based project from Canada and the EU explores social justice, and places adultism in the context of societal reasoning and explores the effects of adultism on young people.

From the "American Pictures" project by Danish photographers Tony Harris and Jacob Holdt.  Explores adultism in the context of all social oppressions, including racism and sexism.

Workshop on Teens & Authority

The National Coalition Building Association of Northern Virginia offered a two hour workshop called "Teens & Authority". Scroll 2/3rds of the way down for a description.

Unit on Adultism

A four-session course on adultism, including: Session One: Introduction to adultism, exploration of stereotypes and putdowns of young people, and analyses of youth/adult interactions. Session Two: Focuses on how young people are mistreated or discriminated against in adult-defined institutions, how young people can internalize mistreatment against themselves and other youth, and explores strengths of young people. Session Three: Examines the conditioning process of becoming an adult, identifying the costs and privileges of adulthood and the requirements for being an adult ally to youth. Session four: Goes over tools to organize and take action against adultism.

Resources to Fight Ephebiphobia

This Freechild Project webpage includes facts and resources on the extreme fear of young people.

This Freechild Project webpage includes facts and resources on ways to end the oppression of young people.

Organizations

Offers multiple workshops to combat adultism in organizations, particularly where young people are involved as decision-makers.

A nationwide advocate for youth rights and the end of adultism.