수도권 중･고등학생들의 연령차별주의와 영향 요인

This study aimed to investigate the actual condition of ageism in adolescents and examine factors affecting it. For this purpose, a survey was conducted on a total of 486 second-year students from four middle and high schools in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do. As a result, first, middle and high school students had low ageism. However, 8.2% of middle school students and 17.8% of high school students showed relatively high ageist attitude. Second, in terms of individual variables, ageism of adolescents was higher in the high school students, the less knowledge related to aging, and the higher the aging anxiety. Third, among the variables of contact experiences with the elderly, ageism in adolescents was lower as the volunteer experiences with the elderly, the higher the direct contact intimacy with the elderly, the more positive media contacts, and the less negative media contacts. Fourth, ageism in adolescents was higher when adolescents perceived the elderly as a threat. The results of this study provide the following implications for improving ageism in adolescents. First, it is necessary to improve the understanding of the elderly and aging and to relieve vague anxiety about aging through educational interventions before high school, where the negative attitude toward the elderly increases. Next, it is necessary to provide volunteer experiences, improve the quality of direct contact with the elderly, and provide positive contact experiences with the elderly through the media. Lastly, in order to understand ageism in adolescents, the relational attributes between the young and the old generation should also be considered.