Healing the Hate: A National Hate Crime Prevention Curriculum for Middle Schools

• NCJ Number: 165479
• Author(s): Karen A. McLaughlin; Kelly J. Brilliant
• Date Published: January 1997
• Length: 218 pages
• Grant Number(s): 95-JS-FX-K001
• Agencies: OJJDP
• Publication Type: Curriculum

Annotation

Designed for middle-school teachers and other professionals who work with youth, this curriculum addresses the extent of hate crime in America and instructs youth in strategies that are proving effective in reducing hate crimes among youth.

Abstract

The curriculum has roots in a wide variety of effective practices stimulated by in-depth research in both violence prevention and prejudice reduction. The curriculum reflects the following general principles: violence and prejudice are preventable, early intervention, empathy building, awareness and appreciation of differences, cooperative learning, critical thinking, perspective-taking, media literacy, interactivity, inequality and institutional violence and prejudice, and social responsibility. Overall, the 10 curriculum units focus on an examination and understanding of beliefs and attitudes about violence and prejudice, issues of diversity with students in their community, and the role of contributing factors such as the media and institutional prejudice. Each unit has a number of lessons that are flexible and adaptable. The format for each lesson consists of lesson time, lesson purpose, objectives, instructions for preparation, and activities. Each activity includes instructions for using the activity in an interdisciplinary classroom setting, activity time, activity purpose, format, and procedures for implementing the activity.