BBC reporter:
Charlotte and Samantha are best friends. They do everything together. In fact, they are twins. But one is a victim of racism - the other isn't. That's because Samantha takes after her mixed-race mum, whereas Charlotte is more like her white Dad.

Samantha:
In Juniors this gang of boys used to pick on me. And every Thursday we went to the library and they used to pick these encyclopaedias out and pick gorillas out of them and say that they were me. Then this one boy used to say "Who has been dipped in the chocolate machine?" and things like that.

BBC reporter:
How does it make you feel when your sister is being picked on like that?

Charlotte:
Well, she's my twin sister and she should be treated the same way as everybody else - and it makes me feel angry.

BBC reporter:
Recent studies show that their experiences of racism are mirrored by children up and down the country.

Boy 1:
People make me feel bad about myself and keep throwing sticks at me and stones, and made me feel lonely and forcing me to do stuff and not making me feel welcome.

Girl 1:
Sometimes they would come up to you and just call you "Pakis" or be abusive and be really racist.

Boy 2:
When I was in infant school I was just left alone. This pupil just kept on coming after me, after school. At dinner-time he pushed me around saying "Go back to your country - we don't want you here." I was just left alone all by myself.

Boy 3:
My cousin - he got stabbed in a petrol station. He filled in petrol in his car. He was about to pay the money and he banged shoulders with this... with two white boys. It makes me feel worried that there is always someone out there that's after me. But in one way like they hate me, they don't even know me but they hate me.

(Report from BBC's 'Newsround Extra: Racism' 16/01/1998)