Racism is a silent killer of children. Childhood experiences of racism often go unnoticed or unreported, even with significant literature to prove that these experiences are a core social determinant of child health (Trent et al., 2019). It is thus imperative for society to frame racism not only as a sociological problem, but also as a neurobiological one.
To further understand this complex issue, scientists are looking at the architecture of pre-adolescent brains. Notably, ages 2 to 7 mark a critical period for brain development. At the start of this period, the number of synapses between neurons effectively doubles, allowing the brain to absorb not only information but also behaviors at a rapid rate (Sriram, 2020). Consequently, children are more susceptible to damage due to racism during this time period. It has been proven through repetitive experiments that experiencing racism alters the brain. There is high correlation between racism and toxic stress, which “leads to inflammatory reactions that predispose individuals to chronic diseases” (Trent et al., 2019). Understanding the multitude of ways that racism can alter brain pathways through toxic stress and the release of stress hormones, like cortisol, is thus critical, as such effects of racism could increase the risk of developing physical and emotional ailments. For context, many countries have implemented policies in the past (and present) that have limited minority groups’ ability to access resources such as healthcare. When considering the long-term disruptions of these policies, science begins to point towards diseases such as asthma, brain and nerve damage, obesity, depression, anxiety, and behavior problems, such as oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), as byproducts (Barker, 2021). Even though this list is not specific to youth, it is still important to note that these illnesses have a high presence in underserved neighborhoods. For children living in these environments, they are likely already stressed about living conditions and may also experience racism as a stressor on top.
After synthesizing my findings, primarily drawn from academic journals, I decided to consult with local expert Dr. Charles Nelson III, Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
SW: What do you believe are some of the key issues influencing racial health disparities?
CN: Exposure to racism early in life has a profound impact on behavior because it is changing brain circuitry. This can lead to the adoption of health risk behaviors such as smoking, drinking, or poor nutrition. It can change your behavior. Stress leads to neurotoxins that increase allostatic load-burdening physiology. As a result, the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal system (HPA), which deals with appropriate responses to stressors, is altered.
SW: What are some specific ways that the individual experience of racism can impact pre-adolescent behavior as compared to later in life?
CN: It is reasonable to speculate that pre-adolescence may be a critical period in development where youth may be particularly vulnerable to racism. Early in life, one is trying to shape identity and determine how to treat others. Being a target of racism can fundamentally shape who a child is. A child is still trying to come to grips with who they are based on interactions with the world. If the world around a child is hostile, the trajectory of a child’s growth can be shifted in a bad way.
SW: How does racism play a role in creating feelings of exclusion?
CN: There are negative consequences associated with being an out-group because they are stigmatized and marginalized for long-periods of time, which takes a toll. Even separate from racism, you know from your experience in middle school and high school, there were the kids who hung together and the other kids who were different in some ways. I think that anyone who is an outgroup member and is different in some way feels stigmatized and marginalized, and the question is: How do you recover from that? How do you finally feel like a member of a group of some sort? That is what’s wonderful about teaching freshman seminars the first semester because often many people feel as if they’ve grown into their skin when they get to college. For others, that happened earlier. So, the whole in-group and out-group thing is a big issue because how long can you sustain being a member of the out-group and feeling you’re not wanted or not a member of the majority? It must take a toll.
SW: Have you been involved in any research or studies that have suggested correlations between social health and brain health?
CN: Studies show a clear link between racism and the risk for poor health later on. The ACES study shows this because higher adverse childhood experiences are associated with poor health. More specifically, there are racial, ethnic, and social class disparities in ACES as scores are higher for minority and underrepresented populations. The link between these experiences and health risks later in life is very strong. For example, educated black males are at the highest health risk in the United States because getting to that status of success in this country took a toll.
Dr. Charles Nelson concluded this interview by advising young neuroscientists not to shy away from tackling pre-adolescent racism just because it is complex. As we begin to fill in the gaps between brain architecture and racism with further research into the effects of racism on children’s development, hopefully people will pay more attention to the issue and develop interventions that are geared towards both measuring neurological changes and preventing them.
About the Author
Sydney Wiredu is a freshman at Harvard College concentrating in Neuroscience.
References
To further understand this complex issue, scientists are looking at the architecture of pre-adolescent brains. Notably, ages 2 to 7 mark a critical period for brain development. At the start of this period, the number of synapses between neurons effectively doubles, allowing the brain to absorb not only information but also behaviors at a rapid rate (Sriram, 2020). Consequently, children are more susceptible to damage due to racism during this time period. It has been proven through repetitive experiments that experiencing racism alters the brain. There is high correlation between racism and toxic stress, which “leads to inflammatory reactions that predispose individuals to chronic diseases” (Trent et al., 2019). Understanding the multitude of ways that racism can alter brain pathways through toxic stress and the release of stress hormones, like cortisol, is thus critical, as such effects of racism could increase the risk of developing physical and emotional ailments. For context, many countries have implemented policies in the past (and present) that have limited minority groups’ ability to access resources such as healthcare. When considering the long-term disruptions of these policies, science begins to point towards diseases such as asthma, brain and nerve damage, obesity, depression, anxiety, and behavior problems, such as oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), as byproducts (Barker, 2021). Even though this list is not specific to youth, it is still important to note that these illnesses have a high presence in underserved neighborhoods. For children living in these environments, they are likely already stressed about living conditions and may also experience racism as a stressor on top.
After synthesizing my findings, primarily drawn from academic journals, I decided to consult with local expert Dr. Charles Nelson III, Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
SW: What do you believe are some of the key issues influencing racial health disparities?
CN: Exposure to racism early in life has a profound impact on behavior because it is changing brain circuitry. This can lead to the adoption of health risk behaviors such as smoking, drinking, or poor nutrition. It can change your behavior. Stress leads to neurotoxins that increase allostatic load-burdening physiology. As a result, the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal system (HPA), which deals with appropriate responses to stressors, is altered.
SW: What are some specific ways that the individual experience of racism can impact pre-adolescent behavior as compared to later in life?
CN: It is reasonable to speculate that pre-adolescence may be a critical period in development where youth may be particularly vulnerable to racism. Early in life, one is trying to shape identity and determine how to treat others. Being a target of racism can fundamentally shape who a child is. A child is still trying to come to grips with who they are based on interactions with the world. If the world around a child is hostile, the trajectory of a child’s growth can be shifted in a bad way.
SW: How does racism play a role in creating feelings of exclusion?
CN: There are negative consequences associated with being an out-group because they are stigmatized and marginalized for long-periods of time, which takes a toll. Even separate from racism, you know from your experience in middle school and high school, there were the kids who hung together and the other kids who were different in some ways. I think that anyone who is an outgroup member and is different in some way feels stigmatized and marginalized, and the question is: How do you recover from that? How do you finally feel like a member of a group of some sort? That is what’s wonderful about teaching freshman seminars the first semester because often many people feel as if they’ve grown into their skin when they get to college. For others, that happened earlier. So, the whole in-group and out-group thing is a big issue because how long can you sustain being a member of the out-group and feeling you’re not wanted or not a member of the majority? It must take a toll.
SW: Have you been involved in any research or studies that have suggested correlations between social health and brain health?
CN: Studies show a clear link between racism and the risk for poor health later on. The ACES study shows this because higher adverse childhood experiences are associated with poor health. More specifically, there are racial, ethnic, and social class disparities in ACES as scores are higher for minority and underrepresented populations. The link between these experiences and health risks later in life is very strong. For example, educated black males are at the highest health risk in the United States because getting to that status of success in this country took a toll.
Dr. Charles Nelson concluded this interview by advising young neuroscientists not to shy away from tackling pre-adolescent racism just because it is complex. As we begin to fill in the gaps between brain architecture and racism with further research into the effects of racism on children’s development, hopefully people will pay more attention to the issue and develop interventions that are geared towards both measuring neurological changes and preventing them.
About the Author
Sydney Wiredu is a freshman at Harvard College concentrating in Neuroscience.
References
- Barker, J. (2021). Racism is a health issue: How it affects kids, what parents can do. Boston Children's Answers.
- Sriram, R. (2020). Why ages 2-7 matter so much for brain development. Edutopia.
- Trent, M., Dooley, D. G., Dougé, J., Cavanaugh, R. M., Lacroix, A. E., Fanburg, J., Rahmandar, M. H., Hornberger, L. L., Schneider, M. B., Yen, S., Chilton, L. A., Green, A. E., Dilley, K. J., Gutierrez, J. R., Duffee, J. H., Keane, V. A., Krugman, S. D., McKelvey, C. D., Linton, J. M., … Wallace, S. B. (2019). Impact of racism on child and adolescent health. American Academy of Pediatrics.
