Despite decades of social and legal progress, racism remains a persistent threat to the well-being of Black, Indigenous, and other people of colour (BIPOC). Systemic racism is still present in many institutions, including schools, and it affects children as well as adults. Over half of all children in Canada say they’ve witnessed racial bullying at school, and 21% haven’t received any formal education about racial issues. BIPOC youth also experience high rates of internalized racism, which adversely affects how they relate to themselves and the world around them.
In addition to creating social and educational barriers, racism induces chronic stress and anxiety in kids, profoundly disrupting their development. Like all forms of chronic stress, racism directly harms a child’s physical and mental health, with the damage being cumulative over time. Understanding the developmental effects of racism is crucial to addressing racial injustice and providing BIPOC children with the support they need to thrive.
How Racism Impacts Physical & Mental Health in Children
The detrimental effects of racism begin in the womb: Research shows that racialized mothers typically have higher stress levels, which can contribute to low birth weight in infants. Low birth weight is associated with a heightened risk of developing multiple chronic conditions, including asthma, heart disease, and neurological problems. Furthermore, because BIPOC parents often have difficulty finding adequate housing (due to poverty, housing discrimination, and other factors), their children are more likely endure poor living conditions that exacerbate these health issues.
Inadequate housing and high parental anxiety create a stressful environment that gradually alters the developing brain. Some research suggests that racialized children start producing the stress hormone cortisol earlier in life, which can predispose them to anxiety and depression. Sustained high cortisol levels are also associated with greater inflammation throughout the body, a known risk factor for multiple chronic diseases.
The Impact of Racism on Education
Racism presents a significant barrier to academic success for many BIPOC children in Canada. In addition to the racially-motivated bullying these children often experience at school, they may be victims of unfair treatment from teachers and other faculty members. They also frequently lack access to learning materials that reflect their needs and cultural background. For example, a report by York University found that Black youth in Ontario generally don’t have access to reading material from Black authors, and they have difficulty establishing positive relationships with teachers and administrators. There are also limited supports in place to help students address racism and cope with its effects.
As a result of these challenges, absenteeism and dropout rates are higher among racialized children in Canada, while participation in post-secondary education is lower. Only 36% of First Nations children graduate from high school, for example, as compared to the national average of 72%. Though high school graduation rates among Black children are similar to their white counterparts, just 51% of Black youth obtain a post-secondary degree (vs. 62% of the general population). These discrepancies reduce the likelihood that BIPOC youth will enjoy similar career opportunities as their white peers, contributing to socioeconomic inequalities and generational poverty.
Insufficient education affects more than a child’s future success in the workplace. Kids who are ostracized or overlooked at school have fewer opportunities to develop important social, cognitive, and critical thinking skills, too. Deficits in these areas make forming and maintaining relationships more difficult, impair emotional self-regulation, and negatively impact a child’s self-esteem.
How Racism Affects Self-Perception
Any label that’s applied to a child eventually becomes part of their identity, particularly when the child is labelled due to something they can’t change, like their race. When kids grow up hearing that their race is an impediment, they internalize those beliefs. As a result of this internalized racism, they often feel helpless, self-conscious, and anxious. Moreover, they are unable to draw on their cultural heritage as a source of strength, pride, and belonging, which increases feelings of isolation and inadequacy.
Kids in this position may hesitate to take measured risks and pursue opportunities, limiting their potential. Alternatively, they may push themselves to overachieve in an attempt to disprove the harmful stereotypes directed against them. Both states are unhealthy because they interfere with normal goal-setting behaviour and intrinsic motivation. For children to become self-actualized, they need to follow their desires and have a sense of control over outcomes. Internalized racism co-opts these essential processes, making it harder for kids to develop a sense of purpose, direction, and meaning.
Racism and Juvenile Justice
The mistreatment of young people of colour in the juvenile justice system is another factor that can interfere with healthy development. Currently, Indigenous peoples comprise up to 75% of those in juvenile detention centres in some areas, while Black individuals are six times more likely to be subjected to random police checks than white individuals. Racialized people are also charged with, and convinced of, offences at a much higher rate than their white counterparts.
Knowing that one may face discrimination – or even violence – at the hands of the justice system is highly disruptive to psychological health and development. The anxiety many racialized adolescents feel about the possibility of police harassment may interfere with their ability to enjoy everyday activities, like driving, walking, and shopping. This worry creates the perception that the world is a hostile place, which is emotionally oppressive.
Fear and distrust of authority figures also reduce a young person’s willingness to seek help from police, legal, and medical professionals. This hesitancy can contribute to adverse health outcomes and create obstacles to escaping abusive or dangerous situations.
How to Support a Child Experiencing Racism
At some point, racism impacts all children of colour, directly or indirectly. As such, it’s crucial for BIPOC parents to remain vigilant for signs that racism is affecting their child’s mental health. Some indicators that a child is struggling include:
- Displaying a negative attitude towards the colour of their skin, physical features, or cultural background.
- Having a persistently low mood or poor self-esteem.
- Chronic anxiety (this may result in frequent nightmares, changes in sleeping or eating habits, or ongoing somatic complaints).
- Experiencing flashbacks to hurtful or traumatic events associated with racism.
If your child exhibits any of these symptoms for longer than a few weeks, talk to their doctor about getting a referral for mental health care. Other strategies you can use to support your child are as follows:
1. Talk to your child about your own experiences with racism.
Though parents are sometimes hesitant to share their past experiences with racism, doing so can make kids feel less alone. It can also help children correctly identify racism when they witness it and develop effective coping strategies.
2. Continue the conversation.
Talking openly and often about racial issues dismantles the perception that racism is a taboo subject or too difficult to discuss, thereby reducing stigma. Making conversations about race and racism a normal part of family life will encourage your child to share, too, so they don’t internalize their anxiety.
3. Listen to your child.
Kids experiencing racism often feel ignored and invalidated. It isn’t uncommon for kids to be called “too sensitive” when they react to racial slurs or microaggressions, for example. Bullies may also try to disguise racism as teasing or joking. Listening to your child, and letting them know their feelings are normal and justified, will reassure them and prevent them from doubting their own perceptions.
4. Monitor your child’s access to social media and the internet.
Though discussing racism at home can be helpful, exposing kids to graphic media and adult conversations about race causes unnecessary stress. Carefully monitor younger kids’ online activities and direct them towards kid-friendly media from BIPOC creators. For older kids and teens, enforce screen time limits and social media breaks.
5. Know how to report racism.
Most schools have a system for reporting and responding to incidents of racism. Generally, the process begins with talking to your child’s teacher, then escalating the matter to the principal or superintendent if further action is needed. If an issue cannot be resolved within the school, you can submit a report detailing your complaint to the district school board’s Human Rights Office.
All children deserve to be raised in a society where they’re valued and respected as equals. By acknowledging and confronting racism, we can protect our children from its harmful effects, support healthy development, and build more inclusive schools and workplaces.
