This is a summary of the peer-reviewed article: Adultification: risk factors, harmful effects and implications for nursing practice by Melanie Hayward and Julie Critcher. 

The article discusses adultification, a form of prejudice where children, particularly from minority backgrounds, are perceived as older or more mature than they are, leading to adult-like expectations and treatment. This bias may result in the denial of children’s innocence and vulnerability, diminishing their legal rights and subjecting them to harm.