Guide
Talking to Teens About Online Hate Speech: A Guide for Parents and Families
Help teens identify, process, and think critically about online hate speech to help minimize its harmful effects.
At a Glance
Language
English — USSubject
- Advisory
- Civics & Citizenship
- Propaganda
- Democracy & Civic Engagement
- Antisemitism
- Equity & Inclusion
- Racism
- Resistance
Get This Resource
Talking to Teens About Online Hate Speech: A Guide for Parents and Families
Date of Publication:
December 2023
Download a PDF of this resource for free
Download this resource for free. By signing up for a Facing History account, you can access this and other resources. You'll also be able to save items for later and build collections for your class. It's fast, easy, and free!
About this Guide
Raising children in a digital age makes it essential for parents to help them process and think critically about the messages they encounter online, and to consider the impact that their own words and actions can have on others.
Hate speech is pervasive on social media. This resource is designed to support parents and other adults in helping children identify, process, and think critically about online hate speech to help minimize its harmful effects. Before engaging in a conversation about online hate speech with your teen, we encourage adults to read our Current Events Strategies for Parents and Teens, which has helpful tips, reflections, and resources to help guide these discussions.
You might also be interested in…
Discussing Contemporary Islamophobia in the Classroom
This unit is designed to help students in the UK reflect on how Islamophobia manifests in contemporary society and what needs to be done to challenge it.
Confronting Islamophobia
Students explore the roots of Islamophobia, reflect on its human cost and its impact on those who experience it, and start thinking about the importance of standing up against Islamophobia.
Exploring Islamophobic Tropes
Students explore Islamophobic tropes, their troubled history, their evolution and their present manifestation in further depth, and consider the harm that their circulation can cause.
Addressing Islamophobia in the Media
Students reflect on how Islamophobia manifests in the media and in the entertainment industry, and the potential consequences of being exposed to Islamophobic content.
Understanding Gendered Islamophobia
Students learn how Islamophobia intersects with misogyny and the impact that this has on the treatment of Muslim women.
Standing Up Against Contemporary Islamophobia
Students reflect on the impact of Islamophobia on Muslims’ sense of belonging, consider what can be done to foster integration, and explore ways in which they and others can challenge Islamophobia.
Antisemitic Conflation: What Is the Impact of Conflating All Jews with the Actions and Policies of the Israeli Government?
Students start with the universal and move to the particular to learn about conflation as a manifestation of antisemitism.
Mood Meter
This mood meter activity develops students’ vocabulary for describing their feelings and their empathy muscles.
Three Good Things
Students practice gratitude by naming and recording three good things that have happened that day.
Slow Down with The Slowdown
Students use poetry as a spark for reflection and discussion about what’s happening in their lives and the world.
Take a Stand
Students practice debate and perspective taking by taking a stand on a controversial statement.
Most teachers are willing to tackle the difficult topics, but we need the tools.
—
Gabriela Calderon-Espinal, Bay Shore, NY
