Abstract
The authors draw attention to the effects and influences of prejudice, discrimination, and inequity, as well as other critical contexts (implicit bias, explicit racism, post-immigration processes, social policies, parenting, and media influences), on the development of children, with particular emphasis on children of color and children managing social interpersonal prejudice and searching to establish their sexual identities. The expanding social, economic, and racial inequities in American society are linked to increases in negative outcomes for children via exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), sometimes referred to as toxic stress. ACEs usually encompass such areas as low income, separation/divorce, family alcohol/drug problems, family mental illness, exposure to neighborhood violence, exposure to domestic violence, parental incarceration, and parent loss through death. While developmental scientists may have disagreements about developmental processes contributing to the organization of problem behavior, few contest the hypothesis that the origins are rooted in the prenatal-to-5 age period, sustained through childhood, and fully expressed often by the end of adolescence. Moreover, because development is now firmly viewed as dynamic and synergistically reflective of the organization of the individual in her/his environmental context, a deeper understanding of the need for more specialized education and support programs as well as evidence-based prevention and intervention programs is emerging.
On Chicago’s south side in a poor community, a 10 year old Black boy sobs in the confines of his family home, recounting the recent violent loss of his brother on the street in front of his home. It was the second such death of a youth in this family. Responding to these tragedies, his parents have restricted the remaining children to indoor play fearing similar dangers for their remaining children and loved ones. (MSNBC, March 31, 2017, “Chicago Trauma”).
Jazz is a 14 year old transgender female (I am Jazz, ABC June 10, 2016) She is a guest on a talk show to bring awareness to the issues of transgender youth. An older male audience member approaches the microphone and asks, Which bathroom do you use? Jazz replies, “I use the female restrooms because I am female.” The audience member responds, I think this is a sick thing, basically...” Jazz bites her lower lip as he speaks.
We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there “is” such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for rigorous and positive actions.
–Martin Luther King, Jr
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Fitzgerald, H.E., Johnson, D.J., Qin, D.B., Villarruel, F.A., Norder, J. (2019). Introduction: A Developmental Systems Perspective on Children and Prejudice. In: Fitzgerald, H.E., Johnson, D.J., Qin, D.B., Villarruel, F.A., Norder, J. (eds) Handbook of Children and Prejudice. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-12228-7_1
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