| Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... |
Black women often navigate life under the “double jeopardy” of racism and sexism — an intersection that heightens their vulnerability, particularly from a young age, experts say.
One manifestation of this adultification bias is a persistent stereotype that views Black girls as more mature and less innocent than their peers, leading others to treat them as if they were more knowledgeable about adult topics and less in need of protection.
The local research nonprofit Measure founded the Innocence Initiative to raise awareness about adultification bias, which mainly impacts Black and Brown children.
Measure recently convened 20 community members in Manor High School’s cafeteria for a workshop designed to teach participants how to disrupt adultification bias to protect the innocence of Black girls.
A Georgetown University study entitled “Girlhood Interrupted: The Erasure of Black Girls’ Childhood” introduced the idea of adultification. Co-author Dr. Jamilia Blake revealed that adults view Black girls as less innocent and more adult-like than their white peers, a stereotype affecting girls as young as five years old.
Measure founder and workshop trainer Meme Styles described the first time that she became aware that some people would not grant her the expectation of childhood innocence.
“When I was in elementary school, I wore a Tweety Bird biker pants-and-shirt outfit, something playful and age-appropriate,” she recalled. “But instead of being seen as a child expressing joy, I was perceived through a more adult lens and disciplined in a way that didn’t match my intent or age.”
Even after working on the issue for years, Styles says she still catches herself confronting her own internalized bias, suggesting that such training is crucial for everyone.
Attendees learned that this adultification bias can lead to Black girls being disproportionately reprimanded or punished in schools and the juvenile justice system.
A 2017 study by the National Women’s Law Center compared nationwide school arrests of girls in the 2013-2014 school year. It found that white girls accounted for 50% of female enrollment and just 30% of all girls arrested at schools. Meanwhile, Black girls accounted for 16% of female enrollment and 37% of all girls arrested at schools. The arrest rates of Latina girls were slightly lower than their 25% share of enrollment.
The Austin Independent School District (AISD) does not break its disciplinary data down by gender but that district does show clear disciplinary racial and ethnic disparities, irrespective of gender.
In 2021, 17.5% of the students that AISD referred for disciplinary action were Black, despite representing just 7% of AISD’s enrollment, according to a 2024 AISD equity report. White students, by contrast, accounted for 30% of the students and 25% of disciplinary referrals.
Measure has backed failed legislation to direct the Texas Education Agency to track discipline disparities affecting Black girls. Styles said the failed bill, “Highlighted both the urgency of the issue and the resistance” to it. “Data transparency is critical,” she said, “without it, patterns of harm remain invisible and unaddressed.”
More than 1,000 Austin-area attorneys, advocates, and community members have participated in Measure’s workshop to better understand how to advocate to disrupt adultification bias.
Lawyers and public defenders are crucial, since they often are the first adults that children interact with after being arrested. If internal bias leads them to view the child as “less innocent,” then they are less likely to seek lighter sentences, much less not-guilty pleas. They must choose between recognizing a child’s innocence or treating her like a mature adult.
Another group that has undergone these trainings are Austin Area Urban League mentors, who take part in the Growing & Inspiring Remarkable Ladies G.I.R.L. program. Dr. Charity Wallace said that this mentorship program focuses on mental health support, identity development, and protection from harmful societal perceptions. Their goal is to create spaces where Black and Brown girls are treated as children — curious, creative, and deserving of grace.
Many workshop participants left with a renewed commitment to notice bias and to disrupt it to let more girls experience the freedom and joys of childhood.
“Adultification bias isn’t abstract, it shows up early, and it shapes how Black girls are treated, protected, and believed,” Styles said.
To close the training, participants were asked to think of a time during childhood when they felt loved and safe. “Visualize that feeling, feel what you felt, remember the joy,” Styles said. “Now think about how to maintain that feeling for all Black and Brown girls.”
Taylor Crownover is the Community Engagement Coordinator at Austin Free Press, where she collaborates with local organizations and writes features about community events. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. Taylor is involved with numerous Austin-based organizations and works in an Austin city council office.
