When Childhood Is Not Handed Out Equally
America does not always speak about young people the same way. A Black boy can be seventeen and suddenly be described as a man when trouble enters the story. Meanwhile, an eighteen- or nineteen-year-old in another case may still be described in terms of youth, immaturity, and potential. This does not happen in every situation, but research has identified a pattern known as adultification bias. It occurs when children are perceived as older, less innocent, more mature, and more responsible than their actual age suggests. Studies have found this bias especially in perceptions of Black children. The result is that Black childhood can sometimes disappear earlier in the eyes of others.
Accountability Does Not Erase Adolescence
Recognizing this bias does not mean excusing wrongdoing. A teenager who commits a serious offense can cause real harm and should face appropriate consequences. But accountability does not require pretending adolescence has ended. Judgment, impulse control, and emotional development are still developing during the teenage years. A seventeen-year-old can commit a terrible act and still be seventeen. Fairness requires holding young people responsible for what they actually did without mentally adding years to their age because of fear, race, or the seriousness of the accusation.
What the Research Shows
A widely cited 2014 study found that participants viewed Black boys as older and less innocent than White boys of the same age,