Harms of Media Narratives & Language
The narratives used, language used about people, and the stories that are highlighted are wholly responsible for systemic issues and harms to communities. We must be mindful of the words we use. Words have been weaponized against Black and brown communities for generations, resulting in hundreds of lives lost (see "The Superpredator Myth)". Until we center youth voices, and push back on false narratives, the struggle and misinformation will continue. Language affects identity development, relationships, and policies themselves. Language is the most important clue to answering: "who is a child v. who is not; who's life matters v. who's does not." Language can be the difference between a youth sentence or a child being sentenced to the Department of Corrections.
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Even as advocates and attorneys, we must also consider..."are we operating off of assumptions/implicit bias, or from listening, learning, and building relationship with the children we are here to serve?"
Source: Equal Justice Initiative
What is the Superpredator Myth?
Twenty-five years ago, the “Superpredator” myth led nearly every state in the country to expand laws that removed children from juvenile courts and exposed them to adult sentences, including life without parole.
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In 1995, John DiIulio, a professor at Princeton who coined the term “superpredator,” predicted that the number of juveniles in custody would increase three-fold in the coming years and that, by 2010, there would be “an estimated 270,000 more young predators on the streets than in 1990.” Criminologist James Fox joined in the rhetoric, saying publicly, “Unless we act today, we’re going to have a bloodbath when these kids grow up.”
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These predictions set off a panic which led nearly every state to pass legislation between 1992 and 1999 that dramatically increased the treatment of youth (Black and Brown making up the majority) as adults for purposes of sentencing and punishment.
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DiIulio and Fox themselves later admitted, the prediction of a juvenile superpredator epidemic turned out to be wrong.
Today, youth crime is DOWN by 30% Nationally. & Down 78% since the 90's.
So please, do not be easily persuaded by media trying to bring back this myth today. These are lifelong implications for children.
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