Outgroup Prejudice among Secondary Pupils in Northern England: Are the Predictors at the Individual, School or Neighbourhood Level?

Abstract

This study examines the Outgroup Prejudice Index (see Research in Education, 83, 2010) to see what factors best predict levels of outgroup prejudice among adolescents living in northern England. A sample of 2,502 eleven- to sixteen-year-old secondary school pupils completed a questionnaire that included measures of outgroup prejudice, religiosity and outgroup contact. The six new findings implied by the results suggest that outgroup prejudice is predicted by somewhat different factors among White pupils in the region than among Muslims. First, girls are less prejudiced than boys. There was strong evidence for this for both Whites and Muslims. Second, having friends of a different race reduces prejudice. There was strong evidence for this also for both Whites and Muslims. Third, mid-teens are more prejudiced than other adolescents. Prejudice peaked among mid-teens for Whites, but not Muslims. Fourth, Christian affiliation is associated with increased prejudice, although greater religious salience reduces prejudice. Fifth, home neighbourhood has some slight effect on Muslim pupils’ prejudice but it is not very strong. Sixth, school effects are only evident for White pupils. School neighbourhood has rather little effect. Building on previous research, the present study has added new knowledge by succeeding in measuring outgroup prejudice among secular, Christian and Muslim young people within the same study and thereby confirming the usefulness of the Outgroup Prejudice Index in extending the scope of studies in the psychology of prejudice within a multi-faith context.