Helping parents reduce racial bias in young children
Reducing Children’s Racial Biases via a Parent-Led Intervention
This project teaches White parents how to talk about race with their 5–7-year-old children so the children show less racial bias.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11144364 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, you and your 5–7-year-old child would be randomly placed into a parent training program or one of two comparison groups. Parents in the training learn evidence-based ways to address race, receive materials, and get support to practice conversations at home with their child. All families complete a test before the program, one right after, and one later to see whether changes last. The work aims to help parents reduce their child’s racial biases and improve wellbeing for children of color over time.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: White parents with children aged 5–7 who are willing to complete brief training sessions and at-home practice activities are the intended participants.
Not a fit: Families with children outside the 5–7 age range, parents who are not White, or those unwilling to engage in the training and home practice are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If it works, the program could give parents practical tools to reduce racial bias in young children and help create fairer experiences for children of color.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research shows parents can shape children’s attitudes, but training White parents specifically to reduce racial bias is relatively new and still being tested.
Where this research is happening
Madison, United States
- University of Wisconsin-Madison — Madison, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shutts, Kristin B — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Shutts, Kristin B
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.