Press Release

ADL Provides Guide for Educators and Families to Help Young People Process Election 2016

New York, NY, November 10, 2016 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today issued recommendations and tips for families and educators to assist young people in processing their feelings and understanding what happened in the wake of the presidential election.

“Election 2016 was a long, emotional, and difficult time for our country,” said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “Parents and educators are now looking for ways to help our kids express their sentiments and guide them in internalizing what took place. Children and teenagers are tuned in and engaged across social media as never before. They have heard a great deal about the campaign and some of the ugliness that surrounded it at times. Therefore, it is imperative that we help our kids navigate their feelings, understand what happened and work through their fears.”

ADL’s education experts have created a resource for parents, educators and caregivers offering guidance on how to:

• Allow young people to express their feelings
• Answer questions
• Be honest about your personal thoughts and feelings
• Remain positive and explain that there are a variety of ways to be an activist including countering bias, bullying and stereotyping
• Tell them you will protect and fight for them
• Discuss and monitor what young people come across on social media and encourage connecting with others

 “Discussions in the classroom and at the dinner table about this topic should be encouraged, not shunned,” said Jinnie Spiegler, ADL Director of Curriculum. “We need to be sensitive to young people’s needs at a time when they have many questions and concerns about the future of our country and what that means to them.”

ADL offers a wide range of anti-bias education resources that offer a structured approach for educators to facilitate productive, inclusive and sensitive discussions about a myriad of topics, especially in relation to current events that have generated public conversations.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.

Related

• Resource: Talking with Young People After the Election
• More on Anti-Bias Education
• Helping K-12 Educators in Teaching News Topics and Other Issues of the Day