PS10 - Protecting the Mental Health of African American Youth & their Families in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Current and Future Directions
Black Women Caregivers' Media-Based Ethnic Racial Socialization: Conversations in the Shadow of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Ongoing Racial InjusticesIn 2020, the viral video depicting George Floyd's death sparked widespread protests against racism and police violence. The google search for "how to talk to my children about race" skyrocketed as many parents looked for advice. Few studies, however, have explored Black caregivers' perspectives about talking with their children about racism-related media. As such, the current study explores if and how Black women caregivers engaged in discussions about racism-related media with their children. Guided by the tenants of consensual qualitative analysis (Hill & Knox, 2021), we analyzed interview data from 12 Black women caregivers. Our analysis identified two patterns when deciding if and how to discuss racism related media with their children: (1) actions to engage their children in conversations that prepared them to experience bias and discrimination, and (2) actions to shield their children from racism related media to mitigate their children's stress. Notably, caregivers, regardless of what decision they made, described how emotionally taxing the decision making process was, and worried about the potential damage watching videos of police brutality could pose on young children's mental health. Findings, however, suggest that Black women caregivers are uniquely positioned to help their children navigate racism related media, but would benefit from meaningful opportunities to discuss how to support their children and their own mental health and wellbeing in the process.