Imagine being a young teenage girl. Now imagine being told that you are NOT innocent. Imagine being told you are not a child. Black girls are often treated more like an adult than a child. This is referred to as a form of age compression. Due to this happening, adult characteristics are being forced upon them. Some people feel as though they are old enough to handle different responsibilities, when in actuality they are growing up faster than they should.

An adult-like behavior from an age compressed black girl is that they may seem mature socially, but not so much when it comes to their education. Also, a black girl may display behaviors of being aggressive or controlling, which are the typical stereotypes of an adult black woman.

Black girls maturing physically and reaching puberty at a fast rate is another reason they are treated older than their age.

The most difficult example to discuss is that, for a long time, a large quantity of black girls have been hyper-sexualized. To hyper-sexualize a black girl means that this person is looking at her in a sexual way because her body is developed to them and they think their reasoning is somehow justifiable. This is something that I do not agree with.

Not helping to treat these girls their age, opens the can for them to be exposed to dangerous situations.

They will continue to be treated this way if this problem is not talked about. This issue needs to be made aware of to every school, placement, and organization for children. Awareness will allow those who are in charge to be given a chance to self-reflect, as well as help to create better ideas, so that they are treated their age.

Please provide feedback on how we can stop adultification!