This research explores the effects of social support and school environment on the youth attitude towards human rights with 524 second-grade students at 16 high schools in 31 cities and counties of Gyeonggi-do. The results are as follows:
First, fe...
This research explores the effects of social support and school environment on the youth attitude towards human rights with 524 second-grade students at 16 high schools in 31 cities and counties of Gyeonggi-do. The results are as follows:
First, female students showed higher level of attitude towards human rights, social support, and school environment than male students.
Second, the demographic factors that influence the attitude towards human rights were gender, grade, and residence satisfaction. Female and higher grade students showed positive effects on the attitude towards human rights. Although residence satisfaction does impact the attitude, it showed different results depending on the independent variables, namely social support and school environment.
Third, as for the effects of social support on the attitude towards human rights, among the three sub-factors of social support, only family support showed effect on the attitude towards human rights. Given that students spend most of the time in school, it was assumed that, in general, friends’ and teachers’ support would have bigger influence than family support, but the analysis indicated that family support is more significant. More in-depth studies will have to follow in this domain.
Fourth, human rights education and self-esteem turned out to have little to do with youth attitude towards human rights. This supports the established researches arguing that human rights education does not easily reveal its impact, and also it implies that the education so far has not been very effective. Further studies will need to be pursued.
Fifth, as for school environment, the environment of the whole school and of the class did have impact on the youth attitude; however, teacher did not. It reveals the problems with school education in that teachers’ roles do not have influence on the youth.
Sixth, taken into account the demographic factors, i.e., social support and school environment, school environment had biggest impact on the youth attitude towards human rights, followed by grade and gender. Meanwhile, social support did not show impact on the attitude.
Seventh, overall, it seems that although social support does not have direct influence on the attitude towards human rights, but it does so indirectly by means of other factors. Therefore, further studies will have to follow regarding the relation between social support and attitude towards human rights.
Based on the research results, the following practical suggestions were made: first, more efforts should be made to enhance the youth’s awareness of human rights and become more familiar with the concept. Second, human rights education for the youth must be adapted to the reality. Instead of simply increasing the hours of education, there should be more practical education, for instance, by involving the parents as well. Also, human rights education can become a mandatory subject and we can foster professionals specializing in human rights education.
The next are suggestions for the policies. First, the youth must be guaranteed for autonomy. In order for the youth human rights to improve, the perception regarding those who seek the rights and those who control them must change soon and there should be youth policies that do not invade the autonomy and human rights of the youth. Second, the youth education should step beyond forceful and test-based education by changing related policies. There should be more policies that will free the youth from the conflict and stress they get from the test-oriented education, and although education field has its own issues with human rights, but proper human rights education can only be possible if the environment guarantees autonomy and respectful treatment, which will enhance the awareness of and attitude towards human rights. This research showed that higher awareness of the school environment is related to higher attitude towards human rights. Therefore, the policies must improve school environment, and hence, the awareness and attitude. The close link between family support and the attitude towards human rights indicate how important the function of family is. It is not hard to understand how the parental care and proper home education can foster healthy and cooperative people. Policies should be made so that the society compensates the role of family and also empowers the function of family. It may seem that the over-competitive society results in social improvement, but it has many adverse effects, and therefore, the societal structure should change into one that could mitigate the competition and enhance the quality of life.