boys / girls / child / children
Last updatedDefinition
These terms generally refer to individuals ages 12 or younger. Infant is acceptable for a very young child. For clarity, it’s generally best to be specific about ages or age ranges whenever possible.
It’s also worth noting that a term like “boy” in reference to a Black man has a racist history. Specifying ages or ranges, or referring to Black youths as teens, children, or infants is preferable.
Referring to children more broadly in gender-neutral terms rather than with a phrase like “boys and girls” acknowledges that gender is now understood in many circles as a spectrum rather than a binary (though when discussing individuals, as with any identifier it’s best to follow the person’s preference whenever possible).
Additional resources
- Age (American Psychological Association)
- Terms You Might Not Know Are Racist (ThoughtCo)
- Court finally says ‘boy’ comments are racist (Harvard Law & Policy Review)
- How racist is “boy”? (Economist)
- Preventing Gender Bias (Harvard Graduate School of Education)
- These L.A. parents don’t want to assign a gender to their baby, so the government did it for them (LA Times)
- Gender Identity: Should We Raise Our Children Gender Neutral? (WBUR)
Summary
These terms generally refer to individuals ages 12 or younger. Infant is acceptable for a very young child. Referring to children more broadly in gender-neutral terms rather than with a phrase like “boys and girls” acknowledges that gender is now understood in many circles as a spectrum rather than a binary (though when discussing individuals, as with any identifier it’s best to follow the person’s preference whenever possible).