Racial Discrimination In Health And Social Care Essay

Racism is a prevalent problem in most societies across the globe and is often seen as a social issue, however it is evident that this race discrimination also has a significant impact on the health of children. The term ‘racism’ is referred to as the viewing of another race/s as inferior to the dominant racial group, this view is then established within society to involve both the active and unconscious discriminatory treatment of those in the marginalised group (Bobo & Fox, 2003.) The implications that arise from this disadvantage extend to all areas of life, including physical and mental health, behavioural issues, socialisation, political and socio-economic status, as well as self confidence and sense of identity. The inaccurate …show more content…
Being segregated as a result of racism has a great influence over children’s social functioning which consequently leads to higher levels of cognitive problems and a decrease in quality of life (Turney, 2013.) In a systematic review conducted by Priest et al. (2013) it was found that there is a strong positive correlation between direct experiences of racial discrimination with increases in mental health issues, such a depression and generalised anxiety disorder. Exposure to racial discrimination as a child between infancy and twelve years old was also seen to be a predictor for behavioural issues ranging from delinquency, alcohol abuse and vandalism. These behaviours were shown to result directly from lowered self esteem and social isolation that occurred within the family, neighbourhood and school environments and had lasting effects as evidenced in longitidinal studies (Turney, 2013.) Thus it is clear that the effects of racism on the cognitive development and behavioural outcomes of children from birth to their pre-teen years is clearly evident and extremely significant in determining well