The topic for this essay will address the issues concerning the exposure to racism and the impact on child health. With the addition of secondary sources, the essay will focus on the cognitive and behavioural impacts children who have experienced direct forms of racism or indirect racism through the influence of parenting factors including maternal experiences. Assuming that children will experience a number of issues due to racism, the essay will aim to put forward statistics and scholarly evidence to back up the given claims. The topic implies that an exposure to racism can have negative effects on children. Therefore, the essay will further address the various sources of evidence to put forward an argument.
Put simply, racism can be defined …show more content…
Therefore, it is imperative that children gain proficiency with key social concepts in order to build a sound mental wellbeing (Van Ausdale & Feagin, 2001). Research findings conclude, that out of the participants studied in one case concerning an African American minority, those parents who denied racism against themselves reported a higher rate of behaviour problems associated with depression and anxiety, compared to those who identified racism either to self or African Americans (Caughy, O'Campo & Muntaner, 2004). This also correlates to findings of another study where it was reported that African-American mother's denial of experiences of racism had dramatic effects on internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors in their 3 to 4 year olds. Later findings in same study also revealed that personal experiences with racism among boys aged 10-15 years, had higher levels of self reported and parent-reported externalizing problems, higher levels of hopelessness and poorer self esteem (Pachter & Coll, 2009). The relationship between racism and child development is often complex, since there are a number of developmental effects that are unique to children. Pachter (2009) draws on research, which identifies that the effects of other family member’s experiences of racism as well as their attitudes about raising children, act as the main factors of direct exposure of racism among
Put simply, racism can be defined …show more content…
Therefore, it is imperative that children gain proficiency with key social concepts in order to build a sound mental wellbeing (Van Ausdale & Feagin, 2001). Research findings conclude, that out of the participants studied in one case concerning an African American minority, those parents who denied racism against themselves reported a higher rate of behaviour problems associated with depression and anxiety, compared to those who identified racism either to self or African Americans (Caughy, O'Campo & Muntaner, 2004). This also correlates to findings of another study where it was reported that African-American mother's denial of experiences of racism had dramatic effects on internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors in their 3 to 4 year olds. Later findings in same study also revealed that personal experiences with racism among boys aged 10-15 years, had higher levels of self reported and parent-reported externalizing problems, higher levels of hopelessness and poorer self esteem (Pachter & Coll, 2009). The relationship between racism and child development is often complex, since there are a number of developmental effects that are unique to children. Pachter (2009) draws on research, which identifies that the effects of other family member’s experiences of racism as well as their attitudes about raising children, act as the main factors of direct exposure of racism among