Have you ever felt that someone judged you before they even took the opportunity to get to know you? The word prejudice is the noun form of prejudge, which means making judgments or forming negative opinions without getting all the facts. Terri and Yusef both worried that other students would form negative opinions of them before getting to know them.

There are many examples of prejudice in the world, some of which you may encounter through news reports, at school, at work, or in your home. It's unfair - and often sad - but prejudice exists everywhere. You may have heard others saying things about whole groups like, "All Italians are . . . ," or "Jews always . . . ," or "Girls can't . . . ," or "Gays always . . . ," or "Old people are . . . ," or, well, you get the point. The list just goes on.

Maybe you've heard people call others nasty names. Sometimes, people who say these things say them out of fear or because they just don't know better. If people hear prejudiced comments while growing up, it may seem hard to resist repeating them. Some people who feel unimportant or bad about themselves think they can feel better by picking on or bullying others.

Sometimes, people who say these things are angry or upset - and want to lash out at others. When prejudice against certain groups leads to an act of violence, it's called a hate crime. The laws for defining and punishing hate crimes vary from state to state.

Reviewed by: Neil Izenberg, MD
Date reviewed: November 2001