Health professionals who care for children will find a thoughtful and hands-on resource to address racism and race-related issues in their practices in this essay collection. Leading experts from across disciplines frame the issues and provide practical information on prevention, intervention, and anticipatory guidance. Each chapter is grounded in the recommendations outlined in the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) policy statement “The Impact of Racism on Child and Adolescent Health.” The AAP is committed to reducing the ongoing costs and burden of racism to children, the health care system, and society—this book is an important contribution to that effort and ongoing conversation. Available for purchase at https://www.aap.org/Untangling-the-Thread-of-Racism-A-Primer-for-Pediatric-Health-Professionals-Paperback
5: Understanding Racism and Adolescence
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Published:October 2023
Anisha Abraham, MD, MPH, Maria Trent, MD, MPH, "Understanding Racism and Adolescence", Untangling the Thread of Racism: A Primer for Pediatric Health Professionals, American Academy of Pediatrics, Maria Trent, MD, MPH, FSAHM, FAAP, Danielle G. Dooley, MD, MPhil, FAAP, Jacqueline Dougé, MD, MPH, FAAP
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Racism is a system of oppression that categorizes and stratifies people into “races” and creates adverse childhood experiences that undermine healthy development and the well-being of adolescents and families through differential treatment resulting in social disadvantage. Pervasive racism exists in societies around the globe, but it has been so distinctly codified into the American experience that it has been identified as a US public health emergency. Pediatric health professionals, parents and caregivers, and others who work with adolescents need to be sensitive to teenage development, including the critical role of racial socialization as a mediator for their experiences of racism and the need to foster positive identity development. Early intervention through screening before adolescence, conversations that recognize and acknowledge unique injustices faced during adolescence, and thoughtful scaffolding by parents and caregivers can help adolescents navigate and counter the adverse physical, emotional, and social effects of racism as they approach autonomy.
Keywords: adolescence, racism, development
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