Question 2 - Favouritism

Favouritism is the practice of giving special treatment to a person or the state of being treated as a favourite. It is also a case of discrimination just because someone is better than the other. So what does favouritism do to a person?

Firstly, to a person who is being favoured, it pleases them. They will have the feeling of being pampered and spoiled by their parents, for example, and it will make them think that they can do whatever they want, as their parents will pay a lot of attention to them. Thus, they will eventually have bad attitude and rebel against their parents as they mature. For example, a child who is pampered by their parents will ask their parents to buy him or her toys. If they do not get what they want, they will throw a tantrum and scream and yell.

Secondly, to a person who is standing in the side lines, for example, a sibling, they will feel left out. They will tend to feel rejected by their parents and think that they have done something wrong which has caused this situation to happen. This will also result in jealousy and envy towards the other party. Pre-teens especially need their parents’ love as they grow up. Without it, they will think that they are unwanted and will feel neglected.

Lastly, to every child, they need parents who will care for them and love them. Most children who experience favourtism will not get along with their siblings. They will look for ways to get their parents’ attention and will get into huge trouble eventually. This results in heavy consequences, like prison or suicide. This is because children will face pressure from their parents in favouritism. Because of this pressure, they cannot take it and find a way to escape from reality, for example, drugs.

In conclusion, everyone experiences favouritism and is affected either negatively or positively. Parents should treat their children equally and without discrimination, but it is up to them how they treat their children. They may have their own way of showing their love and will have different ways of treating them.