*Why* We Should Talk to Kids About Police Violence
I gave you the how. Here's more on the rationale.
In Tuesday’s free newsletter, I shared advice on how to talk to kids about police violence. I included a few short paragraphs on why I think it’s important to do so, but I didn’t give you much of the science backing up my opinion. So today, I’m going to do just that.
One of the reasons I want to talk about the “why” is because we know from research that most white parents don’t talk to kids about racism and acts of race-related violence, even when these horrific incidents are all over the media. A study published after George Floyd’s murder found that his death incited more Black parents to talk to their kids about race and racism, but that his death didn’t encourage white parents to do the same.
Research suggests that white parents don’t tend to talk to their kids about racism and racially charged killings because they think these topics are “too negative or unnecessary.”
Look, I get it. We want to protect our kids’ innocence. We worry about overwhelming them or making them feel guilty. We may feel exceptionally uncomfortable talking about race ourselves. Plus, we probably don’t feel a lot of peer pressure to have these conversations. Chances are, if you’re a white parent, you don’t know a lot of other white parents who have talked to their kids about Tyre Nichols or George Floyd or Breonna Taylor or Philandro Castile.
But this doesn’t mean that you should follow suit, and here’s why.
The idea that it’s unnecessary or harmful to talk to kids about acts of racism is based on three understandable but common misconceptions. The first is that kids don’t notice racial differences. The second is that kids are less likely to become racist if they aren’t taught about race. The third is that white kids will feel shame after learning about acts of racism.
Research contradicts these widespread beliefs.