Are you treated equally?
From July 31 to September 09
Our debate theme for this month is respect
The Government has published a Green Paper to set out how it is planning to reform our laws on discrimination.
Discrimination is unfair treatment of a person or group because of something about them, like their race, gender, age, sexuality or disability.
The Government will be deciding if the law should protect people from age discrimination where they buy or are given goods, facilities and services. But this new law, if it is introduced, will not cover children and young people.
We’re asking if you think children and young people get equal treatment in society – in shops, at the doctor or dentist, in community centres, in parks, at home, and anywhere else you can think of.
Should the law protect people from discrimination because of their age, no matter if they are older or younger?
Do you think you have been treated differently? Tell us where this was (for example at school, at home, in a shop, on a bus or train). Do you think it was because of your age?
What people or places most often discriminate against children and young people because of their age?
Can age discrimination be a good thing?
Tell us what you think – join in the debate!
On Tuesday, August 14, 2007 Mohanish said:
I think it is a priority for all people to be treated equally and fairly. Nobody should be treated in an unsatisfactory manner, regarding their age. Everyone should feel safe in the environment they live and work in.
I have been treated differently many times in my area but one incident that occured really angered me. This was in my local Mall/Shopping centre. Me and my friends went to a fairly small restaurant. We stood in the queue hoping that when we came to the front we could order. But to our surprise we were completely ignored and were asked to stop loitering. This really angered me and i’m appauled by the way young people are being perceived.
The places which mainly discriminate children in my opinion would be busy and popular places. This is because shop assistants think that young people are their to ‘hang’ around or to thieve!
Can age discrimination be a good thing? Age discrimination can definitely be a good thing but to certain, acceptable proportions. Otherwise… Its a definite NO 
On Wednesday, August 15, 2007 Iqra said:
Age discrimination is so common when it comes to choosing between two people for a job, generally the older persn gets it because there thought to have more experience, and obiviously sometimes they do have more experience and therefore its understandable for them to get the job.
But I’ve heard so many times when two applicants are applying for a job and both have equal amounts of experience, the deciding factor in the end is their age, and this is wrong , and this is what the goverment should be putting an end to more, because i don’t think it’s being monitered well!!
On Monday, September 03, 2007 Rachael said:
1.The law should protect everyone doesnt matter who they are.
2.Yes I have been ignored in a shop and yes it was because of my age.
3.I think shops because young people are all treated as they are all bad children, walking around the streets.
4.I think it is a good thing because only if everyone is treated equally.
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I agree with Kevin! I think a lot needs to be done to help defeat the stereotype some people have of young people, a stereotype that is definitely not helped by the media! Many shops near my school only allow a certain number of schoolchildren in at a time, and my local shop wouldn’t allow me to buy eggs or flour because I was under 16! I wanted to make a cake not vandalise my neighbourhood!