Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

Children as young as 2 can internalise racial bias – the earlier we discuss it the better

The earlier we broach the topic of racism with children, the better (Photo: Shutterstock)

Racism can be an issue that feels difficult to broach with children. And, as a parent, it is natural to want to shield your child from such subjects for as long as possible.

But it is important that young people understand racism and its impact. Black History Month is an opportunity to start vital conversations about race and diversity.

While we celebrate the influence and achievements of Black people everywhere, we can also take time to reflect and help young people understand what racism is and what they can do if they experience it or see it happening.

When a child is bullied or treated differently because of their race, it can lead to feelings of isolation, depression, anger or even shame about their race or how they look. One young person from Scotland recently wrote on the Childline message board that they were called all sorts of names because of their “caramel skin colour” and it made them feel insecure and wish they had lighter skin.

Childline delivers hundreds of counselling sessions a year, where racist bullying, racism or being bullied for spiritual, cultural or religious reasons are mentioned.

Racism or racial bullying can be overt or openly hostile, such as being called racist names or being sent threats. Alternatively, it can be covert or harder to recognise, involving subtle comments that put a child or young person down and devalue their experience or identity.

Both types of racism are equally distressing for children and young people and can have a significant impact on their mental health.

Encourage positive and open conversations

Our views and beliefs develop as we grow up and are influenced by friends and family, communities, school and what we see and read in the media. That’s why it’s important to encourage positive and open conversations about race and racism with children.

While many parents may be worried about speaking to younger children about this issue, research shows that children can internalise racial bias between the ages of two and four. When speaking to young children, it’s important to use terms they will understand, such as fairness, being kind and accepting others for who they are.

Children can internalise racial bias at a very young age, so parents must start conversations about race and racism early (Photo: Shutterstock / maxbelchenko)

It can be helpful to let older children lead the conversation so they feel confident sharing their ideas or experiences. It’s important to provide a safe and comfortable environment for them to express themselves in, by listening and asking questions without judging.

For further support, children can use the moderated Childline message boards to talk with other young people who are experiencing similar things, and speak to a counsellor over the phone on 0800 1111 or online at childline.org.uk.


Gail Sayles is NSPCC Scotland Local Campaigns Manager

Read more: