Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction: how children and adolescents experience discrimination because of ethnicity, immigration, gender, and sexual orientation -- Overview and background on discrimination in childhood and adolescence -- Defining a complex phenomenon -- Theoretical framework for understanding the importance of discrimination -- An (abridged) historical look at research on childhood discrimination -- The perception of discrimination in childhood and adolescence -- Perceptions of discrimination across social groups : trends, similarities, and differences -- How children develop an understanding of discrimination : the social cognitive precursors -- A developmental intergroup analysis of children and adolescents' perceptions of discrimination : -- Who, what, and when -- The impact of discrimination on children and adolescents: -- The physical and psychological impact of perceiving discrimination -- Social and behavioral consequences of perceiving discrimination -- The academic consequences of perceiving discrimination -- The context of discrimination in childhood and adolescence -- The role of the family -- The peer context -- The importance of schools and neighborhoods -- Conclusion: where to go from here -- Index.