The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), the police watchdog for England and Wales, has called for stronger measures to address the “adultification” of Black children.
Describing adultification as a racial bias, the IOPC explained it leads to Black children being perceived as more “streetwise,” “grown-up,” and less innocent or vulnerable than their peers, The Guardian reported.
While the IOPC’s new guidelines have been welcomed by advocates for police reform, many emphasize the need for a deeper transformation in how police interact with children.
In the U.S., the Center for Policing Equity has drawn parallels to cases of adultification bias, such as the infamous 1993 sentencing of 14-year-old Keith Belcher to 60 years in prison. His case was shaped by the now-discredited “superpredator theory.” Highlighting the broader implications, the Center stated, “When Black children are held to adult standards, the harm goes far beyond their own lives and that of their families, the trauma affecting whole communities, not least because those responsible are so infrequently held accountable.”
The statement also recalled the 1955 murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till, noting that his family still awaits justice: “The family of 14-year-old Emmett Till, tortured and murdered by a group of white men, is still waiting for someone to answer for his lynching.”
