Learning from Research: The adultification of Black girls in state care

THEME

The adultification of Black girls in society is rooted in misogynoir and leads to them being treated as older than they are and held to a standard of judgement that may not be applied to other children. The issue of the adultification of Black girls in England has received more attention in recent years with the high-profile case of Child Q who was strip-searched by police officers in her school in London. However, the specifics of how this issue affects Black girls in state/local authority care is still grossly under-explored.

The issue of adultification is particularly acute for Black girls in state care who often experience adultification in the parental dynamic that they have with their parent(s) prior to entering local authority care and can also experience adultification-bias from professionals within the social care sector. This experience can be compounded by an adultified transition from state/local authority care into independent living. The implications that adultification can have on how social workers engage with Black girls and the key decisions that they make, for example, housing assessments, means that there is an urgent need for this issue to be addressed.

Sylvia Ikomi recently explored the causes of these issues and potential solutions to these issues as a part of an August-September 2023 Churchill Fellowship visit to the USA. Her fellowship involved interviews and a focus group with experts on the topic of the adultification of Black children and Black girls and professionals that have observed the dynamics of this issue within their own work within the social care sector. The study identified potential solutions to some of these issues that could be applied in England.

Read the full Churchill Fellowship report, The adultification of Black girls in state care: Perspectives by Syvia Ikomi: The adultification of black girls in state care: perspectives (churchillfellowship.org)

PRESENTER

Sylvia Ikomi’s PhD research topic is The Adultification of Black Girls in State Care. She is a lecturer and qualified teacher. Sylvia delivers Continuous Professional Development training that is aimed at raising professionals’ awareness of the adultification of Black girls within the education and social care sectors.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

You should attend this session you are interested in learning about:

What the adultification of Black girls in state care is,
How Black girls in state care are adultified,
Why Black girls in state care are adultified and potential solutions to address some of these issues.

You are interested in learning more about how children in state care can experience adultification in their families prior to entering local authority care and how social workers can support them more effectively.

For social workers, reflection on this session may contribute to your continuing professional development (CPD).

Members can watch recordings of previous Learning from Research Webinars here