KANSAS CITY, Mo. — (KANSAS CITY, Mo.) -- Ralph Yarl, a 16-year-old teen who was shot by a homeowner after he accidentally arrived at the wrong address to pick up his siblings – may be a victim of 'adultification,' according to researchers.
Rally Held For Ralph Yarl, Black Teen That Was Shot After Going To Wrong House To Pick Up His BrotherKANSAS CITY, Mo. — -- Ralph Yarl, a 16-year-old teen who was shot by a homeowner after he accidentally arrived at the wrong address to pick up his siblings – may be a victim of"adultification," according to researchers.
This can have devastating consequences, leading to discrimination and even violence against Black children, according to researchers. Several researchers referred to the bias as"dehumanizing" for Black people. Yarl told police he parked in the driveway, went to the front door,"pressed the doorbell and waited outside the front door," according to the probable cause statement.
"When I think about what the shooter has said about Ralph, there's an automatic assumption that he is an intruder," said T. Elon Dancy, Chief Research Scientist of the Center for Urban Education in the University of Pittsburgh School of Education, in an interview with ABC News. Lester has been charged with one count of felony assault in the first degree and one felony count of armed criminal action. He is expected to appear in court Wednesday.
Martin, a 17-year-old Black teen, was fatally shot in 2012 by George Zimmerman, a man who followed Martin during his walk home from the store because, Zimmerman said, he believed Martin was suspicious. Dancy believes those descriptors"are not the ways that we talked about children who are taking a walk to a neighborhood store to get Skittles and something to drink," which is what Martin was said to have been doing that night.Adultification has a legacy of slavery and represents the perpetuation of racist stereotypes, researchers say.
As a result, Black children are 18 times more likely than white children to be criminally sentenced as adults rather than children, according to a study in the Personality and Social Psychology journal.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Ralph Yarl’s Accomplishments Didn’t Protect Him From Getting ShotOpEd: 'Simply put, Black children should not have to be “excellent” to gain public sympathy.'
Read more »
Ralph Yarl shooter has 'racist tendencies,' grandson says“The warning signs were there': A grandson of Andrew Lester, who shot Ralph Yarl, said his grandfather espoused racist views galvanized by watching right-wing media. (via The ReidOut Blog)
Read more »
In the shooting of Ralph Yarl, a reminder of the racist ‘adultification’ of Black children | Solomon JonesWhen it comes to Black children, they are often assumed to be older than they are. It is another way that they are stripped of the presumption of innocence and denied the privileges of childhood.
Read more »
Alex Wagner: The hypocrisy and horror of America's 'stand your ground' historyAlex Wagner and Traci Tillman: “Stand your ground” laws exploded in 2012 after George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin, passing in 28 states and Puerto Rico. But the law tends to exacerbate some potentially fatal racial disparities.
Read more »