Houston, TX, October 10, 2002 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today announced its newest effort to help break the cycle of teen prejudice, hatred and violence, with the release of Hate Comes Home, an interactive CD-ROM. Produced as a joint project of ADL and WILL Interactive, Inc., Hate Comes Home leads a player through a series of decision making processes for four teen-age characters. The choices made by the player determine whether or not a hate crime will be committed.

"One of the most important lessons that we at ADL can offer to young people is to increase their understanding of the ways in which hateful ideas and words can escalate to hateful acts," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. "This CD-ROM provides an innovative way to do this by having students walk in the shoes of a peer and seeing the consequences of their choices."

Hate Comes Home opens with two young men, Tom and Mike, arriving together for a school homecoming dance. Two other students perceive them to be a gay couple and plot to attack them. The four central characters, Richard, Lina, Tisha and Jake, must make a decision: to intervene, and prevent an attack, or to let it happen. The students' choices are predetermined by a series of decisions made in the previous week. All four characters have a life status - a personal story - that shapes his or her outlook and helps to determine whether they make the right choices to prevent the attack.

"Hate Comes Home is the next generation of education technology. It's an interactive movie that depicts not only the extreme consequences of hate, but the power of individuals to recognize and arrest it," said Sharon Sloane, President and CEO, WILL Interactive, Inc.

Hate Comes Home will be accompanied by a discussion guide and can be used in a variety of classes, including social studies, civics, citizenship education, history, English and health. It can be played by classes, small groups or individual students and can be used as a stand-alone tool or as a part of A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute full and half-day training programs. Hate Comes Home and the companion guide can be purchased for $89.95 on ADL's Web site, www.adl.org and from WILL Interactive, 1-877-ALL-WILL or www.willinteractive.com.

Hate Comes Home was originally created for the "Stop the Hate" Project, a three year initiative funded by the California State Legislature, to institutionalize ADL's A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute anti-bias training programs in selected school settings. The overall goal of the "Stop the Hate" Project is to break the cycle of prejudice, hatred, distrust and violence by providing school administrators, teachers, students and parents with new skills and strategies to combat bias and create respectful learning environments.

WILL Interactive, Inc. invented and patented Virtual Experience Interactive Learning Software (VEILS)--a highly engaging form of digital game-based training that blends filmmaking, psychology, instructional design and computer science to successfully improve individual decision making skills.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.