Children show implicit racial attitudes from a young age, research confirms

White children show signs of implicit racism from the age of five by favouring people with the same skin colour, according to new research. Academics from the University of Bristol and York University in Toronto measured the automatic attitudes of 359 white children aged five to 12-years-old by testing their preferences of unknown white and black children in photographs. While there was no evidence of automatic negativity toward black people, they demonstrated automatic positivity in response to white people. It also showed that older children, aged nine to 12, weren't automatically positive toward other white children, which suggests that individual characteristics, such as shared interests, become more important as children get older. The findings, published in the journal Child Development , cast light on how racial prejudice develops. They have implications for families, service providers, policy makers, and researchers interested in reducing prejudice in young people. Dr Amanda Williams , from the School of Education at the University of Bristol, said: "This pattern of results is concerning because adults who show stronger automatic bias towards white people often demonstrate less positive behaviour when interacting with black people.