Adultifying Black Girls

I have delivered Continuous Professional Development (CPD) sessions to teachers to raise awareness of the issue of adultification-bias towards Black girls by teachers. Figures that Agenda Alliance obtained from the Department for Education confirm a troubling 66% increase in the school exclusion rate of girls. Many girls and young women shared with Agenda Alliance ‘‘that their exclusion often stems from unaddressed experiences of sexual harassment and abuse, poor mental health, and experiences of racism, with negative stereotypes attached to Black and minoritised girls and young women playing a critical role in their exclusion’’. Unfortunately, the adultification of Black girls is not limited to the classroom – it affects them across various areas of their lives.

Through my Churchill Fellowship, I explored the adultification that Black girls experience in their relationship with their parents prior to entering state care, from social work professionals during their time in state care, and in the form of an adultified transition from state care into independent living. I travelled to the USA and engaged with experts from the USA and Canada to explore how Black girls in state care are adultified, why this happens, and potential solutions to the issue.

I had the privilege of being hosted by Howard and George Washington universities during my visit. My findings were rich and included a rich discussion with Prof Linda Burton about the issue of a dysfunctional dynamic in which a parent takes on the role of the child and the child takes on the role of a parent. I also spoke with Dr Sadiyah Malcolm about the misogynoir that Black girls can experience, in consideration of her experience as a Black girlhood specialist who started mentoring Black girls in 2010. Additionally, I had discussions with Travonne Edwards, Andre Laylor, Rasnat Chowdhury, and Prof Bryn King about the findings of their study of 150 children and care leavers in Ontario, Canada, a number of whom felt as though they had been dropped, pushed or fled from state care.

The potential solutions outlined in my study range from the need for a move away from a tick-boxing approach to social work, which hinders social workers from building meaningful relationships with the children, to the need for the professionals that work with the girls to highlight some of the positive attributes that the girls inadvertently develop as a result of their experience of adultification – such as their leadership skills.

I have shared the findings of my study with social work students at seven universities, and social workers through my conference keynote speech and CPD sessions. In June, I started working on an adultification awareness poster and leaflet campaign, and I am currently unpacking the findings of my study in my ongoing PhD. I am humbled and grateful for the engagement that I have received from key stakeholders and hope that my work will make a tangible difference in the lives of the children affected by these issues.

Read Sylvia's Fellowship report on the adultification of black girls in state care here.