Resource parents are a bridge to help children get back to their families. That\u2019s why shared parenting and maintaining and strengthening connections between children and their caregivers are so central to resource parenting.<\/p>\n
But to do this well, you need to be able to see the good in families and understand how important children\u2019s families are to them. That\u2019s why it\u2019s so important to understand and guard against implicit bias.<\/h6>\nImplicit Bias<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\nImplicit bias is defined as unconscious favoritism toward or prejudice against people of a particular ethnicity, gender, or social group that influences one\u2019s actions or perceptions.<\/p>\n
Unconscious is a key word here. With implicit bias, you have a prejudice but don\u2019t know it. Even if you mean well and consciously reject racism and other biases, implicit bias can lead you to unwittingly act in ways that result in discrimination.<\/p>\n
It happens all the time. For example, \u201cexperiments show that people are more likely to hire a male candidate for a science position, rate the athletic ability of a person higher if they believe the person is African-American rather than white, and rate the verbal skills of a person higher if they think the writer is a woman rather than a man\u201d (Handelsman & Sakraney, 2015).<\/p>\n
The key thing to remember about implicit bias is that it affects every- body. No matter how well-intentioned, no one is immune.<\/p>\n
Awareness Is Key<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\nThe good news is, as we become aware of them, we can overcome our implicit biases and mitigate how much they affect us. Areas where implicit bias may show up as you work with children and youth in foster care and their families include:<\/p>\n
\n- Race and ethnicity<\/li>\n
- Poverty<\/li>\n
- Age<\/li>\n
- Gender<\/li>\n
- Sexuality\/ Transgender<\/li>\n
- History (e.g. prior involvment with CPS, criminal records, past drug or alcohol use).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The first step in reducing your implicit biases is to NOTICE them. When you experience a negative thought or feeling about someone, slow down and think about it. Are you making a judgement? Can you stop and let yourself treat this person as an individual?<\/p>\n
Implicit bias is defined as unconscious favoritism toward or prejudice against people of a particular ethnicity, gender, or social group that influences one\u2019s actions or perceptions.<\/p>\n
Unconscious is a key word here. With implicit bias, you have a prejudice but don\u2019t know it. Even if you mean well and consciously reject racism and other biases, implicit bias can lead you to unwittingly act in ways that result in discrimination.<\/p>\n
It happens all the time. For example, \u201cexperiments show that people are more likely to hire a male candidate for a science position, rate the athletic ability of a person higher if they believe the person is African-American rather than white, and rate the verbal skills of a person higher if they think the writer is a woman rather than a man\u201d (Handelsman & Sakraney, 2015).<\/p>\n
The key thing to remember about implicit bias is that it affects every- body. No matter how well-intentioned, no one is immune.<\/p>\n
Awareness Is Key<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\nThe good news is, as we become aware of them, we can overcome our implicit biases and mitigate how much they affect us. Areas where implicit bias may show up as you work with children and youth in foster care and their families include:<\/p>\n
\n- Race and ethnicity<\/li>\n
- Poverty<\/li>\n
- Age<\/li>\n
- Gender<\/li>\n
- Sexuality\/ Transgender<\/li>\n
- History (e.g. prior involvment with CPS, criminal records, past drug or alcohol use).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The first step in reducing your implicit biases is to NOTICE them. When you experience a negative thought or feeling about someone, slow down and think about it. Are you making a judgement? Can you stop and let yourself treat this person as an individual?<\/p>\n
The first step in reducing your implicit biases is to NOTICE them. When you experience a negative thought or feeling about someone, slow down and think about it. Are you making a judgement? Can you stop and let yourself treat this person as an individual?<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fosteringperspectives.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Jodi-Franck-scaled-e1666365723695-150x150.jpg\")
Understanding and guarding against your implicit biases can make you a better bridge to help children get back to their families.<\/p>\n