Children, that is who we are talking about here, learn from making mistakes. It is easy for children to follow a crowd and do all sorts of things they will later regret: experiment with drugs, alcohol, smoking, unhealthy relationships, sexual flings, etc. Included in this list is experimenting with racist language.
It is the responsibility of parents, teachers, adults and mentors to guide children away from mistakes towards the ability to make healthier choices.
Children also learn from their environment. Many of my college friends had never had anything spicy beyond a hint of black pepper due to their upbringing. Some thought spicy food was foul, unpleasant and foreign. It took them a few times visiting Indian, Caribbean, Thai, and Korean places to get hooked and completely change their world view.
We shouldn't mark kids as racist. Everyone has the capacity to grow and learn. Children especially so.
It is the responsibility of parents, teachers, adults and mentors to guide children away from mistakes towards the ability to make healthier choices.
Children also learn from their environment. Many of my college friends had never had anything spicy beyond a hint of black pepper due to their upbringing. Some thought spicy food was foul, unpleasant and foreign. It took them a few times visiting Indian, Caribbean, Thai, and Korean places to get hooked and completely change their world view.
We shouldn't mark kids as racist. Everyone has the capacity to grow and learn. Children especially so.