For decades, social psychologists have acknowledged that prejudice starts as early as children start perceiving the world,1 with some literature citing that children start showing a preference for their own race as early as three months old.2 More recent literature suggests that own-group preference may not be equivalent to prejudice against out-groups, as evidenced by the finding that in-group preference begins early in life, whereas out-group hatred appears after a child’s sixth birthday.3 It appears then that out-group hatred is largely a learnt social attitude.
A well-established theory that explains prejudice amongst social groups in social psychology is the Social Identity Theory (SIT).4 SIT discusses how the process occurs in three stages: social categorization, where individuals learn to sort the world into categories. For instance, it is when a child learns to distinguish between a girl and a boy, or, later in life, between a living and a non-living thing. These categories guide the next step, which is social identification. This is when an individual identifies as a member of one of the groups, e.g., a girl and a living thing in the above-mentioned examples. Finally, in the last stage, social comparison takes place where the individual compares themselves and their group (ingroup) to other groups (outgroup). SIT holds that individuals view their own group favorably and any other group less favorably to protect their own self esteem.
SIT is a helpful framework for understanding that children start noticing differences at an early age. My own three-year-old daughter asked me why her skin color was different from that of her peers. As an immigrant family from Pakistan, living in New Zealand, that was her first clue to finding out that she was different from others around her. Similarly, children also notice differences in age, gender, social status, apparel, and accent to name a few. In their mind, they are also sorting people into categories such as “like me” and “not like me.” Although this is a typical trajectory for children as they grow, categorization may very quickly escalate to biases in the absence of intentional guidance. Children will seek to make meaning of differences regardless of whether it is discussed around them or not, so parents and teachers should guide them.
One such powerful tool is the Common Ingroup Identity Model, 5which emphasizes that intergroup bias can be reduced by viewing individuals as “we” rather than as “us” vs. “them.” For example, rather than thinking about girl vs. boy, a “we” category would entail viewing both as children or humans. From a Biblical worldview, an important concept can be extremely useful. Imago Dei—first mentioned in Genesis 1:27 is the belief that every individual is created in God’s image. Essentially, it is operating on the common ingroup identity model by finding common ground amongst all people.
The concept of Imago Dei is used frequently in theological studies, but not as much in the social psychology context. This idea does have a very practical aspect and can be beneficial in practical ways to help children understand that there are no group hierarchies and that one group is not better than the other. Essentially, it helps to create a common ingroup that every human can relate to. Using this may offer potential benefits, especially to children.
What “Imago Dei” Teaches Children
It helps reinforce the idea that human life is equally valuable and that God, as the creator of all, does not make any distinction between social groups. So, regardless of your age, gender, wealth, ability, or ethnicity, every life is worthy and important because every individual is created in God’s own image. It could potentially help children be more accepting of differences- whether it is another child in a wheelchair, or a child who speaks English as a second language. Additionally, understanding that we are all created in God’s image can also help children realize their own worth. In a world full of chaos and confusion, knowing that one has been created in God’s image, is not a mistake and has been wonderfully and fearfully made (Psalm 139:14) can offer comfort, encouragement, and stability.
Why Is This Important?
Prejudice begins as children start seeking answers regarding differences. Prejudice may be fueled by unfamiliarity (a child notices someone who is non-verbal, for the first time in their life), silence (the parents/teachers do not explain the situation), and the child comes up with some assumptions or ideas about what they just witnessed. Reinforcing the idea of Imago Dei may help children to see beauty in every single person.
My latest publication, Creator of All,6 is targeted to introduce this idea amongst children who are 8-12 years old. Published by Dove Christian Publishers, it explores the framework of Imago Dei in the simplest possible terms. The book reminds children that everyone is created in God’s image and that the Bible clearly demonstrates that all loves are worthy- regardless of age, gender, race, social status, or ability. I hope that this resource will help children try to view Christ in everyone they meet.
References
- Anthony G. Greenwald and Mahzarin R. Banaji, “Implicit Social Cognition: Attitudes, Self-Esteem, and Stereotypes,” Psychological Review 102, no. 1 (1995): 4–27. ↩︎
- Kelly, D. J., P. C. Quinn, A. M. Slater, K. Lee, A. Gibson, M. Smith, L. Ge, and O. Pascalis. “Three-Month-Olds, but Not Newborns, Prefer Own-Race Faces.” Developmental Science 8, no. 6 (2005): F31–F36. ↩︎
- Buttelmann, Dominik, and R. Böhm. “The Ontogeny of the Motivation That Underlies In-Group Bias.” Psychological Science 25, no. 4 (2014): 921–927. ↩︎
- Tajfel, Henri, and John C. Turner. “An Integrative Theory of Intergroup Conflict.” In The Social Psychology of Intergroup Relations, edited by William G. Austin and Stephen Worchel, 33–47. Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole, 1979. ↩︎
- Gaertner, Samuel L., John F. Dovidio, Phyllis A. Anastasio, Betty A. Bachman, and Mary C. Rust. “The Common Ingroup Identity Model: Recategorization and the Reduction of Intergroup Bias.” European Review of Social Psychology 4, no. 1 (1993): 1–26. ↩︎
- Azeem, Anita A. Creator of All. Dove Christian Publishers, 2025. ↩︎
