This document discusses how racism experienced through media coverage of police violence can affect children, even at a young age. It interviews Dr. Nia Heard-Garris, a pediatrician researching this topic. She notes that children of color can feel vicarious racism by absorbing traumatic information from these stories that parents try to shield them from. The interview provides advice for parents on discussing these issues age-appropriately and balancing informing children with not terrifying them, as well as resources for helping children build resilience.

1. LOADING...
How kids feel racism through the media, and why it’s
our job to help them understand
By STATESIDE STAFF (/PEOPLE/STATESIDE-STAFF) • 3 HOURS AGO
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Dr. Nia Heard-Garris sits down with Cynthia Canty for an interview on Stateside.
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Whenever there's a story of violence that takes over the news cycle, parents face a challenge: How much
do you tell your child? How do you answer your child's questions? Do you wade right into what happened
and why? Or do you divert them, and try to give them something different to think about?
For parents of color, these challenges come up with each act of police-related violence on black males, or
violence aimed at police of cers who are just doing their jobs, such as in Dallas or Baton Rouge.
Dr. Nia Heard-Garris is a pediatrician doing research on the impact racism, and these racially-charged
news stories, can have on children.
Her article on TheConversation.com (http://theconversation.com/protecting-our-children-after-the-
wounds-of-racism-divide-us-even-more-62471), Protecting our children after the wounds of racism divide us
even more, explores vicarious racism ("racism experienced through the eyes of someone else", explained
Heard-Garris) and its potential impact on children.
Heard-Garris joined Stateside to share her personal stories about how she has been affected by incidents
such as the shooting of Trayvon Martin and how that has inspired her research and her parenting. She also
talks about how, as a pediatrician, she includes these issues into her practice and thinks other medical care
providers should do the same thing. According to Heard-Garris, by bringing up the topic, care providers
can get their patients the help they or their kids need.
One of the challenges that parents face, especially parents of children of color, is nding the balance of
informing your child and providing the appropriate context, and terrifying them. Heard-Garris has advice
for that, as well as some resources for parents, from CivilRights.org
(http://www.civilrights.org/publications/reports/talking_to_our_children/) and the American Academy of
Pediatrics (https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/emotional-wellness/Building-
Resilience/Pages/Talking-to-Children-About-Racial-Bias.aspx).

4. RELATED PROGRAM: STATESIDE (/PROGRAMS/STATESIDE)
TAGS: POLICE SHOOTING (/TERM/POLICE-SHOOTING) RACE RELATIONS (/TERM/RACE-RELATIONS)
CHILDREN'S HEALTH (/TERM/CHILDRENS-HEALTH) RACISM (/TERM/RACISM)
Listen to the full interview above to hear more about how racism can affect children, as well as a powerful
personal story about how even toddlers can absorb traumatic information that you think you're shielding
them from.
GUEST: Dr. Nia Heard-Garris is a pediatrician and the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar at
the University of Michigan School of Medicine.
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