When your child asks if they’ll be harmed like the people on the news, what do you say? Psychologists provide tips on how to talk about identity

Psychologists interviewed for this piece describe how children pick up on news coverage that frames aspects of their identity, such as language, religion, or who they love, as suspect, then ask sideways questions rather than direct ones.

The recommended approach favors open-ended prompts over reassurance-by-correction, and researchers cite studies linking family acceptance and open conversation to better outcomes for kids, including LGBTQ+ youth.

The piece argues that silence does not erase a message a child has already absorbed; it just leaves them to interpret it alone.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.