Children are not racists

Why are some people prejudiced against those of other races (using this term in its colloquial, non-scientific sense)? At what age do these racist prejudices begin to form? This is a complex subject that has been studied for a long time. Now, new research conducted by specialists at the universities of Amsterdam and New York reveals that five- and six-year-olds do not usually have any such prejudices, and that if they do appear, it is often due to pressure from the social and family environment in which they have been brought up.

The researchers conducted their study with black and white children, who were asked what they thought of people with a different skin color, and whether they thought that difference would influence their personal development, intelligence, and abilities. And the results showed that young children from multicultural backgrounds largely believed that skin color did not affect how each person was at all.

On the other hand, the small percentage that did show some "racist"inclination, was invariably from environments where only one ethnicity predominated, or had parents who often made racist comments. The study thus adds to existing studies that confirm that racism is the result of education and pressure from the social environment.