Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons^™

Supporting Interethnic And Interracial Friendships Among Youth To Reduce Prejudice And Racism In Schools: The Role Of The School Counselor, Cinzia Pica-Smith, Timothy A. Poynton

Human Services and Rehabilitation Studies Department Faculty Works

Supporting interethnic and interracial friendships in schools among children and adolescents is an important part of a progressive educational agenda informed in equity, social justice frameworks, and critical multicultural education that leads to a reduction in racial prejudice. Positive intergroup contact is a necessary condition in prejudice reduction and the development of positive racial attitudes among ethnically and racially diverse groups of children and adolescents. School counseling initiatives focused on promoting interethnic and interracial friendships can have significant individual and systemic consequences such as: improving social, emotional, and cultural competence among youth; prejudice reduction; and the creation of equitable educational …