PROVIDED BY THE WALLACE GENETIC FOUNDATION, THE COLCOM FOUNDATION, THE E. RHODES AND LEONA B. CARPENTER FOUNDATION AND THE CHARLES A. FRUEAUFF FOUNDATION.

>> Bonnie: THIS WEEK ON TO THE CONTRARY: FIRST, WOMEN ARE COMPETENT- A FACT THAT'S FINALLY GETTING NOTICED.

>>> THEN, WHICH FEMALE CANDIDATES WILL MAKE IT TO THE NEXT DEBATE?

>>> BEHIND THE HEADLINES: ADULTIFICATION, ARE AFRICAN AMERICAN GIRLS FORCED INTO ADULTHOOD AT AN EARLY AGE?

>>> NEXT, COMPETENCY, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE PERSONALITY TRAITS.

>> Bonnie: HELLO, I'M BONNIE ERBE.

WELCOME TO b CONTRARY,b AND SOCIAL TRENDS FROM DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES.

UP FIRST, ARE PERCEPTIONS CATCHING UP WITH REALITY?

A MAJORITY OF AMERICANS NOW BELIEVE WOMEN ARE JUST AS COMPETENT, IF NOT MORE SO, THAN MEN.

THIS IS A KEY FINDING FROM A STUDY CONDUCTED BY THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION THAT ANALYZED CHANGES IN SEVERAL PERSONALITY TRAITS: COMPETENCE, COMPASSION AND WORKED IN AGENCY THROUGH PUBLIC OPINION POLLS.

THE APA REPORTS IN 1946 ONLY 35% OF 30,000 ADULTS SURVEYED BELIEVED MEN AND WOMEN WERE EQUALLY INTELLIGENT.

I N A SIMILAR POLL FROM LAST YEAR 86% OF RESPONDENTS THOUGHT THEY WERE EQUALLY INTELLIGENT.

THE STUDY CITES THE INCREASED PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE, STARTING IN THE 1960S, AS A REASON FOR THE CONSIDERABLE SHIFT IN PUBLIC PERCEPTION.

STILL, SOME GENDER STEREOTYPES REMAIN FIRMLY ROOTED.

FOR EXAMPLE, AMERICANS STILL BELIEVE MEN HAVE MORE AGENCY THAN WOMEN.

WOMEN ARE STILL PERCEIVED AS MORE SENSITIVE AND LESS AMBITIOUS.

SO, PATRIOTS LIEN WILL GO, WILL THIS CHANGE IN PERCEPTION LEAD TO HIGHER RAGES AND BETTER JOBS?

>> IT WILL END IT ALREADY IS.

I THINK IT POSITIONS WOMEN WELL FOR THE FUTURE WHEN AUTOMATION HITS.

>> NONSENSE.

PUBLIC PERCEPTION HAS ALMOST NOTHING TO DO WITH WOMEN'S WAGES AND JOBS.

>> IT IS A SEX DISCRIMINATION AND SEX STEREOTYPING.

>> MOST IMPORTANT THING WHEN IT COMES TO WOMEN'S LIFELONG INCOMES, IS THEIR OWN CONFIDENCE.

IF THIS HAS REVERBERATING EFFECT OF WOMEN NEGOTIATING BETTER WAGES, BETTER SALARIES OR EVEN EARLIER LEVEL COMMITTING TO MORE RIGOROUS DEGREE PROGRAMS THAT THEY ARE CLEARLY CAPABLE OF ACHIEVING, THAT'S A NET POSITIVE FOR SOCIETY .

>> ACTUALLY THOUGHT THIS WAS DEPRESSING.

I DID NOT KNOW WE HAD AN ISSUE WITH PEOPLE VIEWING WOMEN IS COMPETENT OR LESS COMPETENT THAN MEN.

I'M GRAPPLING AND STRUGGLING WITH THAT THAT IT'S IT'S A LARGER ISSUE OF SEX DISCRIMINATION WITH EQUAL PAY.

>> IF THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF AMERICANS IS THAT MEN HAVE MORE AGENCY OR POWER, ISN'T THAT RIGHT?

MEAN -- >> THAT IS ONE STEREOTYPE THAT IS RIGHT.

>> OKAY.

BUT WOMEN ARE STILL PERCEIVED AS LESS SENSITIVE AND LESS AMBITIOUS.

YOU KNOW, THERE ARE PLENTY OF WOMEN NOT AMBITIOUS WHO ARE NOT -- ARE MORE SENSITIVE.

THEN AGAIN, THERE ARE MEN WHO ARE LESS AMBITIOUS.

TONS OF THEM.

WAY MORE THAN THERE ARE AMBITIOUS MEN.UT FOR SOME REASON, THAT GENDER NEVER GETS TAGGED WITH THE FACT THAT MOST OF THEM ARE NOT AMBITIOUS, BECAUSE YOU SEE PUBLICITY AROUND ALL THE ONES WHO ARE.

I DON'T KNOW.

>> MOST PEOPLE AREN'T AMBITIOUS.

IF WE CONSIDER HOW MANY PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY ARE ACTUALLY CREATING JOBS OR CREATING WEALTH, IT'S A MINORITY.

IT'S MAYBE ONE IN EVERY FIVE AMERICANS, THE ONES RESPONSIBLE FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH AND JOB GROWTH.

A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE INHERITED JOBS THAT ARE GIVEN TO THEM.

I THINK JUST BECAUSE YOU DO HAVE JAKE BEZOS AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE BENEFITED FROM HISTORICAL LEGACY OF LAWS AND SOCIOECONOMIC PATTERNS THAT BENEFIT MEN, THAT'S BEEN THE PERCEPTION.

HOWEVER, I LOOK FORWARD TO A FUTURE WHEN LITTLE GIRLS IN KINDERGARTEN DON'T VIEW THEMSELVES AS HAVING ANY LESS OF POTENTIAL THEN THERE MALE CLASSMATES.

>> I MEAN, I THINK WAS PLAYING A ROLE HERE IS WHEN WE LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS, WE HAVE TALKED A LOT ABOUT WOMEN AS CEOS BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO RECOGNIZE WOMEN ENTERING EACH AROUND 25 WHEN THEY START TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT HAVING FAMILIES.

THEY MAKE TRADE-OFFS THAT THEY ARE VERY WELL AWARE OF BETWEEN GOING AFTER PROMOTION, WORKING LONG HOURS, BEING AWAY FROM HOME, TRAVELING A LOT VERSUS A JOB IS MORE FLEXIBLE THAT ALLOWS THEM TO BE 9b¥¥ AVAILABLE TO TAKE KIDS TO SCHOOL.

I THINK IT ALL PLAYS A ROLE.

AT THE END OF THE DAY -- >> I WANT TO POINT OUT IS ALWAYS DO THAT THE COMPARISONS ABOUT WAGES PUT FORTH BY THE BUREAU OF LABOR -- >> THE GENDER PAY GAP.

>> RIGHT , BUT THAT -- IT'S FULL-TIME SALARIES TO FULL-TIME SALARIES.

IT'S NOT FULL-TIME SALARIES TO PART-TIME SALARIES.

THERE REALLY IS A WAGE GAP IMPOSED ON WOMEN WHO ARE EQUALLY AMBITIOUS AS MEN, AND THEY ARE REAL.

IT'S NOT WOMEN ARE JUST CHOOSING.

IT'S NOT JUST THAT.

THERE ARE PLENTY OF MEN WHO CHOOSE THIS AT HOME AND BE COUCH POTATOES AND LIVE OFF OF GOD KNOWS WHATEVER -- >> BUT SHE MADE A POINT ABOUT CHILDCARE AND ABOUT WOMEN ESSENTIALLY HAVING TWO JOBS.

THEY DO MOST OF THE WORK FROM TAKING CARE OF CHILDREN AND INCREASINGLY ARE WORKERS .

THUS THE KIND OF BURDEN, IF YOU WILL, FORGIVE ME, TO LIMIT YOUR AMBITION.

THE WHOLE NOTION OF HERE'S THE WAY UP AND WHAT WE DO ABOUT THESE OTHER THINGS ON THE CHALKBOARD MAKES IT MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO BE AN EQUALLY AMBITIOUS WOMAN.

>> I DON'T THINK IT IS.

>> [CROSS TALK] >> NOW I'M TALKING ABOUT MARRIED WOMEN WITH CHILDREN.

IF YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, YOUNGER WOMEN, TALKING ABOUT SINGLE WOMEN, I DON'T SEE BARRIERS THERE.

>> BUT THE ROLE OF MALE CAREGIVERS IN THE COUNTRY IS ALSO CHANGING.

I UNDERSTAND THE SHIFT.

>> VERY SLOWLY.

>> BUT IT'S HAPPENING.

I'M MARRIED TO A YOUNGER MAN.

EVEN THOUGH THERE IS MORE IF YOU LIKE THAT FALLS ON ME AND THERE IS A SECOND SHIFT THAT WOMEN HAVE TO DO, ESPECIALLY PROFESSIONAL WOMEN, BECAUSE WHEN YOU COME HOME YOUR MOTHER, BUT LET ME TELL YOU: MY HUSBAND IS A LOT MORE.

THINGS THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN UNHEARD OF OR UNIMAGINABLE IN MY FATHER'S GENERATION.

WE ARE ALSO VIEWING MEN AS PARENTS NOW.

>> IT'S HAPPENING SLOWLY ACCORDING TO THE DATA, BUT IT'S -- ACCORDING TO THE GROCERY STORE, I SEE SO MANY, 10 TIMES AS MANY FATHERS PUSHING STROLLERS IN THE GROCERY STORE AS I DID, SAY, 20 YEARS AGO.

>> IN THE MORE WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE AND IN THE WORKFORCE IN JOBS EQUAL TO MEN'S JOBS, THE MORE IT WILL BE NECESSARY JUST TO KEEP FAMILY ALIVE.

>> CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE CHANGE IN THE WORKFORCEHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FACT THAT WOMEN STARTED 1800 BUSINESSES EACH DAY IN 2017bÖÖ018 AND THE TYPES OF BUSINESSES LEND THEMSELVES WELL TO A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY WHERE YOU CAN WORK FROM HOME, SO MAYBE PEOPLE ARE NOT GOING THE CEO ROUTE BUT IT'S NOT -- DOES NOT MEAN THEY ARE NOT AMBITIOUS.

I THINK WE NEED TO CHANGE THE DEFINITION OF WHAT AMBITION LOOKS LIKE.

>> THAT'S THE KEY WORD, WHICH IS LIKE STABILITY.

WORKING REMOTELY AND LETTING WOMEN CONTROL OUR HOURS, THERE WAS A BIG STUDY DONE, CNBC DID A WHOLE THING ON IT ABOUT HOW IF YOU TIE A WOMAN TO THEIR DESK, THEY WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO WIN THE COMPETITION WITH MEN.

BUT IF YOU LET WOMEN JUST CONTROL OUR OWN HOURS, WE NEED FLEXIBLE HOURS MORE, WE CAN GET EVERYTHING WE NEED TO -- >> I AGREE WITH THAT, BUT LET ME AT ONE ELEMENT, WHICH YOU YOURSELF BROUGHT UP: IF MEN START DOING HALF THE HOUSEWORK , WE ARE GETTING THERE, BUT WE ARE GETTING THERE AND IT'S SLOW.

I HOPE 20 YEARS FROM NOW EVERY NEW FATHER WILL DO HOUSEWORK.

THAT ALLEVIATES A LOT OF THAT BURDEN ON WOMEN.

YOU DON'T REALLY NEED JUST FOR WOMEN TO STOP TYING THEMSELVES TO A COMPUTER.

>> I AGREE.

>> YOU NEED MEN TO DO HALF THE WORK WHICH IS WHAT -- >> GLORIA STEINEM AND BENNY FERNAND WERE TALKING ABOUT 1960s.

>> ONE OF THE GOOD THINGS ABOUT AUTOMATION HERE IS A MUCH EASIER IT DOES MAKE WORKING REMOTELY AND PARENTING.

SO IF YOU -- I KNOW MY MOM SPENT MAYBE A DOZEN HOURS A WEEK DRIVING ME AROUND TO AND FROM SCHOOL, TO AND FROM CAMP, CLASS, WHATEVER , IF YOU HAVE A SYSTEM LIKE UBER THAT'S RAPIDLY MOBILIZING TO HAVE SELF DRIVEN CARS, NO, YOU PROBABLY WOULD NOT WANT TO PUT YOUR EIGHT-YEAR-OLD IN THE BACKSEAT OF STRANGER'S CAR.

WHAT ABOUT A SELF-DRIVING CAR WITH LOWER CRASH RATE THAN HUMAN DRIVER?

THAT'S SOMETHING I THINK A LOT OF MOTHERS WOULD -- >> ALL SELF-DRIVING CARS STILL HAVE TO HAVE A PERSON IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT.

>> SHE SAYING AT SOME POINT.

>> AT SOME POINT, AND NOT SOMETHING FIVE YEARS DOWN THE LINE.

MAYBE 15 YEARS.

BUT IF WE APPROACH THESE POINTS, YOU CAN SECURE CHILDREN'S SAFETY WHEN YOU ARE NOT WITH THEM.

WE ALREADY SEEING IT WITH IPHONES HAVING THE FIND MY FRIENDS LOCATOR.IF YOU CAN MAKE SURE YOUR KIDS ARE TAKING CARE OF WHEN YOU ARE NOT PHYSICALLY THERE, WE WILL HAVE A LOT MORE SPACE FOR WOMEN WHO FINALLY -- WILL THERE BE A POINT WHEN YOU REALLY CAN HAVE IT ALL?

YOU CAN BE A FULL-TIME MOM AND A FULL-TIME BUSINESS PERSON.

I'M OPTIMISTIC -- >> WE ARE OUT OF TIME.

LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER AT @BONNIEERB GRADE FROM COMPANY WOMEN TO WOMEN RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT.

THE SIX FEMALE CANDIDATES (AND THE MEN) RUNNING FOR THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION FOR PRESIDENT ARE BACK ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL FOLLOWING THE SECOND ROUND OF DEBATES.

HEALTHCARE WAS THE #1 TOPIC BOTH NIGHTS CANDIDATES OUTLINING THE DETAILS OF THEIR REMEDIES FOR FIXING AMERICA'S SYSTEM.

THE FIRST NIGHT WAS CRITICIZED FOR NOT FOCUSING ON WOMEN'S ISSUES ENOUGH.

HOWEVER, THAT CHANGED THE SECOND NIGHT WITH A QUESTION ABOUT PAY EQUITY TOWARDS THE END OF THE DEBATE.

SENATOR KAMALA HARRIS EXPLAINED HER PLAN TO REQUIRE CORPORATIONS TO POST ON THEIR WEBSITE WHETHER THEY ARE PAYING WOMEN EQUALLY FOR EQUAL WORK.

AND SHE WOULD FIND THEM 1 PERCENT EVERY 1 PERCENT DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN WHAT THEY'RE PAYING MEN AND WOMEN.

SENATOR GILLIBRAND GOT INTO A TERSE EXCHANGE WITH THE FRONTRUNNER, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN, ASKING HIM ABOUT AN OP-ED HERO IN 1981 WHEN CHILD TAX CREDITS.

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN REPLIED BY SAYING HE WAS A SINGLE PARENT AND UNDERSTANDS THE DEBATE BUT THE LEGISLATION WOULD HAVE GIVEN PEOPLE MAKING $100,000 A YEAR A TAX BREAK FOR CHILDCARE AND HE WANTED IT FOR PEOPLE MAKING LESS THAN 100,000.

HE ALSO POINTED TO HIS RECORD ON WOMEN'S ISSUES, INCLUDING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT AND HIS COLLEGE ANTI-SEXUAL ASSAULT PROGRAM.

BIDEN CONTINUES TO LEAD THE FIELD BY DOUBLE DIGITS ACCORDING TO POLLING AVERAGES.

HARRIS AND WARREN ARE EXPECTED TO TAKE PART IN THE NEXT ROUND OF DEBATES.

IT'S NOT CLEAR IF GILLIBRAND, REPRESENTATIVE TULSI GABBARD OF HAWAII, SENATOR AMY KLOBUCHAR OF MINNESOTA, AND AUTHOR MARIANNE WILLIAMSON WILL QUALIFY.

SO CONGRESSWOMAN NORTON, DID ANY OF THOSE WOMEN MAKE A DENT IN JOE BIDEN'S LEAD, DO YOU THINK?

>> THEY HAVE NOT.

NOBODY DID.

THE WOMEN DID NOT SUCCEED IN DOING IT EITHER.

IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF WOMEN'S ISSUES, IT'S BECAUSE BIDEN IS MORE IN TOUCH WITH WHERE THE ELECTORATE ARE TODAY.

THE ELECTORATE SEEMED TO WANT SOMEONE WHO IS STABLE AND HE WAS NOT TOO FAR TO THE LEFT, NOT TOO FAR TO THE RIGHT.

THERE ISN'T A LOT OF THAT IN THAT GROUP, WOMEN OR MEN.

THE WOMEN ARE NOT FARING AS WELL AS THEY MIGHT BECAUSE THEY ARE DOING VERY WELL WHEN IT COMES TO ISSUES, EXCEPT IT'S INTERESTING, BUT PERHAPS NOT UNUSUAL, THAT WOMEN ARE WITH THE FRONTIER ISSUES.

AND THEY ARE CARRYING THOSE ISSUES ALMOST ALONE.

>> YEAH.

I THINK IT'S INTERESTING.

WHAT HURT A LOT OF, A LOT OF, IS TRYING TO HIT JOE BIDEN ON HIS RECORD, AND I THINK SENATOR GILLIBRAND'S ATTACK WAS VERY SCRIPTED AND I THINK THAT'S WHY IT FELL FLATT WOULD NOT SURPRISE ME IF SHE GETS KNOCKED OUT.

THAT WAS HER HAIL MARY PASS AND SHE FUMBLED IT.

AS FOR SENATOR TULSI GABBARD, I THINK IT WAS INTERESTING TO SEE HER REALLY HIT KAMALA HARRIS AND REALLY HOLD HER ACCOUNTABLE.

I DID LIKE SHE HAD A GREAT BREAKOUT MOMENT AND HELD ANOTHER FRONT RUNNER ACCOUNTABLE.

>> I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE THE NUMBERS, BUT THEN I GUESS WE SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISED.

BUT I THOUGHT THE WOMEN DID DO A GOOD JOB, COMBINED IN BOTH DEBATES, AND MAKING I FEEL BIDEN, WHO I LIKE VERY MUCH PERSONALLY, I THINK IS WONDERFUL -- BUT I FEEL LIKE HE'S BEEN SHOWED KIND OF AS OUTDATED, OLD AND I THINK GILLIBRAND DID A GOOD JOB SHOWING HIM NOT AS PRO WOMEN, MODERN AS YOU WOULD THINK IN HARRIS, THE FIRST DEBATE MADE HIM LOOK LIKE HE WAS BEHIND ON RACE ISSUES.

THEN YOU SEE THE NUMBERS AND YOU LIKE, MAYBE THEY DIDN'T RUN IS EFFECTIVE -- >> ALSO, BEFORE WE GET TO UT ANNA, ELEANOR MADE A POINT.

THAT IS WHAT MAKES HIM POPULAR.

HIS OLD-FASHIONED -- FASHION IS HIM IF YOU WILL, THE FACT THAT HE IS WHITE, NO GUY IS APPEALING TO TO WHO THE DEMOCRATS WILL NEED TO APPEAL TO IN THE GENERAL ELECTION.

BUT NOT IN -- WHEN THE MORE EXTREME PHOTOS OF BOTH PARTIES, THE FAR LEFT AND DEMOCRATS, COME OUT IN THE PRIMARIES.

AS THAT STRATEGY, WORK FOR HIM?

>> HIS ELECTORAL STRATEGY, THAT'S WHAT HE'S GOT, APPEARS TO BE WORKING EVEN IN THE PRIMARIES.

THE OTHERS ARE ON A PRIMARY STRATEGY AND THAT'S WHY IT'S NOT WORKING, BECAUSE DEMOCRATS WANT TO GET RID OF TRUMP SO BADLY THAT THEY ARE THINKING ELECTION, NOT PRIMARY.

>> THE VOTERS, YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT?

>> TALKING ABOUT THOSE NUMBERS THAT SHOW BIDEN AHEAD.

LET ME SAY ANOTHER THING ABOUT WHAT BIDEN SAID: BIDEN'S AHEAD BECAUSE OF OBAMA.

OBAMA REMAINS THE MOST POPULAR POLITICIAN IN THE UNITED STATES.

BIDEN IS FROM DELAWARE.

DELAWARE WAS A SEGREGATED STATE.

>> SOUTHERN STATE, REALLY.

>> SOUTHERN STATE.

>> CONSIDERED SO -- >> CONSENT -- SEGREGATED SCHOOLS, SEGREGATED PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION, SO HIS RECORD EXPANDS BACK TO THAT TIME.

IF HE HAD NOT IN FACT CHANGED HIS LIGHTS AS DELAWARE HAS, HE NEVER COULD'VE BEEN ON THE TICKET .

HE'S ON THE TICKET BECAUSE HE WAS SEEN AS A CONSERVATIVE, MORE CONSERVATIVE DEMOCRAT TO BALANCE OUT OBAMA .

>> WELL, ALSO, AS MUCH AS I DISAGREE WITH THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION'S RECORD ON FOREIGN POLICY, HE WAS ALSO PLACED ON THE TICKET BECAUSE HE HAD FOREIGN POLICY EXPERIENCE.

I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF LEGAL WAS IN LIBYA AND SYRIA, SO BE IT.

ELECTORATE DOES NOT SEEM TO CARE THAT MUCH.

IN HEAD-TO-HEAD MATCHUPS, BIDEN IS THE ONLY ONE WHO PETE STROM -- BEAT TRUMP AND THERE IS THAT QUINNIPIAC POLL THAT CAME OUT, LIGHTING COULD TAKE BACK TENSES, WILL HURT RESIGNING OR NOT RUNNING FOR REELECTION.

TEXAS IS BACK IN PLAY.

IF YOU LOOK AT HOW WELL BETO O'ROURKE DID, BIDEN COULD PUT IT BACK IN PLAY.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE ELECTORATES THAT WENT FOR DEMOCRATS PIVOTALLY IN WEALTHY SUBURBS IN 2018 AND THE RUST BELT THAT MOVED FROM OBAMA TO TRUMP COUNTRY IN 2016, BIDEN CAN RECLAIM THEM BOTH.

I THINK THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE SAID THAT WHEN ALL THE CANDIDATES ARE TALKING ABOUT, WE WILL JUST NATIONAL IS 1/5 OF ECONOMY WITH MEDICARE FOR ALL PACKAGE, MAYBE WE COULD FUND ME 8 PERCENT.

ELIZABETH WARREN'S BACK, PROBABLY IN CONSTITUTIONAL, -- BIDEN SAYING MAYBE EIGHT YEARS OF OBAMA WAS NOT BAD.

YOU GOING TO CALL ME RACIST?

I WAS SELECTED TO THE BEST POLITICIAN WHO HAPPENED TO BE BLACK.

WE WANT: SEXIST, HE WAS THE AUTHOR OF THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT AND ALSO LED THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION'S INITIATIVE AGAINST CAMPUS SEXUAL ASSAULT.

SO ALL THESE ATTACKS, THEY WERE REHEARSED, REHEARSED AND THEY MISSED.

THE REASON I THINK TULSI GABBARD STOOD OUT SO MUCH WAS THAT NONE OF THAT WAS REHEARSED.

SHE HAD HER STATISTICS, PREPARED BUT SHE WAITED FOR A MOMENT THAT SEEMED GENUINE.

THAT SOMETHING I THINK SOMEONE LIKE AMY KLOBUCHAR COULD'VE REALLY BENEFITED FROM.

INSTEAD, JOHN DELANEY STARTED TOOK ALL THE OXYGEN FROM THE STAGE,, POINTING OUT TO WARREN, YOUR PLAN, IT WILL RAISE TAXES.

SURE, YOU WILL HAVE LESS OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES BUT IT WILL RAISE TAXESF YOU LOOK AT EVERY COUNTRY ON THE EARTH, IT HAS THAT EXPANSIVE EXPERT BENEFITS.

IT'S NOT A CANADIAN STYLE HEALTHCARE FOR ALL.

THIS IS SO MUCH FURTHER AND WILL ULTIMATELY -- THE ONES -- IT WAS SOMEONE LIKE ALBERT WHO WAS PREPARED BUT NOT REHEARSED IT SO MUCH BETTER THAN SOMEONE LIKE HARRIS OR GILLIBRAND.

>> GREAT ANALYSIS.

WE ARE OUT OF TIME.

>>> BEHIND THE HEADLINES: ACCORDING TO A NEW STUDY, BLACK GIRLS IN AMERICA ARE SEEN AS MORE MATURE AND LESS DESERVING OF PROTECTION THAN OTHER STUDENTS.

HARMFUL EFFECTS INCLUDE YOUNG BLACK GIRLS TREATED MORE HARSHLY THAN THEIR WHITE PEERS.

BE VERY.

>> Dr. Blake: IT REALLY BECAME SALIENT TO ME WHEN I HAD MY OWN CHILDREN.

AND I WOULD LISTEN TO SOME OF THE LANGUAGE THAT THEIR TEACHERS WERE USING, OR THEIR PHYSICIAN WAS USING TO KIND OF CHARACTERIZE THEIR BEHAVIOR OR THEIR APPEARANCE.

>> Bonnie: DR. JAMILIA BLAKE IS AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR IN EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY.

>> Dr. Blake: WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CHILDREN BEING MATURE IN A POSITIVE LIGHT, WE TALK ABOUT THEM BEING PRECOCIOUS OR ADVANCED OR GIFTED.

BUT, YOU KNOW, IF ONE OF MY DAUGHTERS OR ONE OF THEIR FRIENDS WAS DOING SOMETHING THAT THE TEACHER BELIEVED WAS ADVANCED AGE, WELL, THEY'RE TOO GROWN.

THEY KNOW TOO MUCH INFORMATION, >> Bonnie: THIS ATTITUDE IS THE FOCUS OF A STUDY CO-AUTHORED BY DR. BLAKE CALLED b GIRLS: LIVED EXPERIENCES OF ADULTIFICATION BIAS.b >> Rebecca: INTERNATIONAL STUDIES, WE FOUND THAT ADULTS PERCEIVE BLACK GIRLS AS MORE ADULT-LIKE AND LESS INNOCENT AS EARLY AS THE AGE OF FIVE YEARS OLD.

SO WHAT WE FOUND IS AS YOUNG AS POTENTIALLY THE AGE OF KINDERGARTEN, ADULTS, INCLUDING POTENTIALLY TEACHERS, COULD BE LOOKING AT A BLACK GIRL AND RESPONDING TO HER AS IF SHE'S OLDER THAN SHE REALLY IS.

>> Bonnie: REBBECA EPSTEIN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT GEORGETOWN LAW CENTER ON POVERTY AND INEQUALITY, WAS THE OTHER LEAD ON THE STUDY.

>> Rebecca: WHAT THAT TRANSLATES INTO IS LESS LENIENCY, NOT GIVING BLACK GIRLS SECOND CHANCES, NOT TREATING THEM AS IF THEY'RE CHILDREN AND WITH THE INNOCENCE THAT WE TYPICALLY ASSOCIATE WITH GIRLS.

>> Bonnie: BLAKE AND EPSTEIN INTERVIEWED BLACK WOMEN OF DIFFERENT AGES WHO ALL SHARED SIMILAR STORIES OF HOW ADULTIFICATION BIAS INFLUENCED THEIR LIVES GROWING UP.

>> Rebecca: WHAT WAS POWERFUL, THOUGH, WAS THAT THERE WAS A CONSISTENCY TO THE STORIES FROM OUR YOUNGEST PARTICIPANTS MINUS OUR YOUNGEST WAS 12 YEARS OLD, TO OUR OLDER PARTICIPANTS WHO ARE OLDER THAN THE AGE OF 60.

SO ACROSS GENERATIONS, THIS IS A CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE FOR BLACK GIRLS.

>> Donna: THE ROOTS REALLY COME FROM RACISM, RIGHT, THE LEGACY OF SLAVERY AND HISTORICALLY, DEHUMANIZING BLACK PEOPLE, RIGHT.

AND SO THIS IDEA THAT BLACK CHILDREN ARE NOT REALLY CHILDREN.

>> Bonnie: AND RESEARCHERS SAY THIS ADULTIFICATION BIAS RESULTS IN YOUNG BLACK GIRLS BEING LIKELY TO RECEIVE SEVERE PUNISHMENT COMPARED TO OTHER STUDENTS.

>> Rebecca: BLACK GIRLS ARE SUSPENDED AT OVER FIVE TIMES THE RATE OF WHITE GIRLS NATIONALLY.

AND SIMILARLY, BLACK GIRLS ARE TREATED MORE PUNITIVELY ALONG MOST OF THE KEY DECISION-MAKING POINTS IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM AS WELL.

DR. BLAKE SAYS, WHEN SHE FIRST STARTED NOTICING THIS PHENOMENON AFFECTING HER DAUGHTERS, SHE DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO RESPOND.

>> Bonnie: >> Dr. Blake: I DON'T THINK I AT THAT TIME, ESPECIALLY WHEN MY GIRLS WERE YOUNG, I HAD THE AWARENESS.

AND WHEN I REFLECT BACK, I'M LIKE, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WAS HAPPENING, THAT THEY WERE EXHIBITING THIS BIAS.

>> Bonnie: SHE HOPES THIS STUDY CAN SERVE AS A ROADMAP FOR PARENTS TRYING TO NAVIGATE THESE >> Dr. Blake: I HOPE IT CREATES AWARENESS AND GIVES PARENTS AND TEACHERS AND MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, SOCIAL WORKERS, SOME KIND OF LANGUAGE, TO BEGIN THIS CONVERSATION, AND ALSO TO REALLY THINK CRITICALLY AND REFLECT ON THEIR OWN PERCEPTIONS AND HOW THEY'RE INTERPRETING BEHAVIOR.

>> Bonnie: SO, CONGRESSWOMAN ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, EXPLAIN THIS TO ME, YOU KNOW, SLAVERY AND ADULTIFICATION.

IS IT BECAUSE -- WAS IT WHITE SLAVE OWNERS, JUSTIFYING THEIR RAPING OF 12-YEAR-OLD BLACK GIRLS, SLAVES BACK THEN?

I DON'T -- SPELL OUT THE LINK FOR ME.

>> THINK IT GOES BACK FAR, IT SEEMS TO ME, TO BE ABLE TO BE TRACED TO TODAY.

I APPRECIATE THE ATTENTION OF BLACK GIRLS, BUT I HAVE TO SAY THAT IF YOU WERE TO COMPARE BLACK BOYS TO WHITE BOYS, IT MIGHT NOT BE CALLED ADULTIFICATION, BUT YOU WOULD FIND HUGE GAPS AS WELL.

THIS COMPARISON OF GIRLS TO GIRLS, ONE RACE TO ANOTHER, DOES NOT PARTICULARLY SEEM COMPELLING TO ME BECAUSE IT IS AS EXPECTED.

I WOULD WANT TO LOOK CLOSELY AT THE GIRLS JUST AS I WOULD LOOK CLOSELY AT THE BOYS.

BY THE WAY, THE BIGGER CONCERN IN THE AFRICAN COMMAND AND YOU CAN COMMUNITY, BLACK BOYS BEHIND BLACK GIRLS IN ALMOST EVERY RESPECT.

I HAVE A WHOLE COMMISSION ON BLACK MEN AND BOYS.

I REALLY WANT TO LOOK WITH WHAT IT IS THAT KEEPS BLACK GIRLS FROM FEELING FULLY EQUAL TO DO WHAT SHE HAS TO DO.

LOOK AT HOW SHE IS TREATED IN SCHOOL, FORGET THIS THING ABOUT HOME, LOOK WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SHE COMES INTO THE WIDER WORLD AND TRY TO FOCUS THERE.

THAT'S WHERE YOU CAN GET PEOPLE TREATED EQUALLY.

>> I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS, AND I AGREE WITH YOU ON SO MUCH.

I WILL SAY THAT THERE IS A SOCIAL ANGLE TO THIS AND PEOPLE WILL NOT LIKE WHAT I SAY WHEN I SAY THIS, BUT WE OFTEN GLORIFY VIDEOS OF LITTLE GIRLS AND BABIES DANCING IN FRANKLY SEXUALIZED WAYS BECAUSE IT'S CUTE, BUT IT'S NOT CUTE.

WE ARE TEACHING GIRLS ABOUT USING THEIR BODIES -- >> IT'S MORE CULTURAL?

>> I THINK THERE IS A CULTURAL ANGLE TO THAT.

IT'S NOT ENTIRELY THAT -- >> WHITE GIRLS DO IT.

>> THEY DO, BUT SOMEHOW IT GETS MORE ATTACHED TO BLACK GIRLS MAY BE BECAUSE OF BODY SHAPES AND BODY TYPES THAT TEND TO DEVELOP MORE.

I THINK THERE WAS A ROLE FOR US AS PARENTS TO REALLY BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT WE CONSIDER CUTE AND PUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE IS A ROLE FOR PARENTS IN THIS.

>> THERE WAS A BIG PROBLEM ACROSS THE BOARD OF SEXUALIZING OF LITTLE GIRLS.

BUT I THINK WHAT'S SO INTERESTING ABOUT THE STUDY IS BECAUSE A LOT OF THIS CAME UP DURING THE WHOLE R. KELLY SCANDAL, THEY WERE SAYING THE REASON HE DID NOT GET PROSECUTED SOONER WAS NOT BEHIND BARS SOONER WAS BECAUSE HE WAS DOING THIS WITH SO MANY UNDERAGE BLACK GIRLS AND THAT THEY WERE NOT VIEWED WITH THE SAME -- >> BUT IF YOU LOOK AT SOME OF HIS VIDEOS, AND IS NOT THE ONLY RAPPER, BUT RAPPER VIDEOS OF BLACK WOMEN, TO ME, IT'S DISGUSTING WHAT A LOT OF WHITE MUSICIANS DUE TO WHITE WOMEN IN THOSE VIDEOS, BUT WHEN YOU SEE SOME OF, YOU KNOW, THEM WITH BASICALLY NOT CLOSED AT ALL AND WIGGLING ALL PARTS OF INTIMATES ALL OVER THE PLACE, I WONDER HOW MUCH THAT PLAYS INTO IT.

>> PER THE R. KELLY POINT, WE ARE ALSO SEEING THIS WITH JEFFREY EPSTEIN WHO HAS THIS PREDILECTION OF MORE THIN, WHITE, BLONDE GIRLS.

AND IF WE JUST GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE MEDIA COVERAGE OF THAT CASE WHEN HE GOT THAT INITIAL DEAL, IT WAS DESCRIBED AS PROSTITUTION.

A 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL DOES NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO CONSENT TO SEX MUCH LESS WITH A MILLIONAIRE OR BILLIONAIRE.

YET -- AND I'M NOT DENYING THAT RACE IS NOT A COMPONENT OF IT SPECIFICALLY FOR THE REASONS YOU SAID WITH REGARDS TO PERHAPS IF A BLACK GIRL -- IF SHE DEVELOPS PUBERTY EARLIER, PERHAPS MORE BIASES AND LEGACY OF SLAVERY AND RACISM IN JUSTIFYING THE SEXUAL SLAVERY OF WOMEN IS A COMPONENT.

>> QUICKLY, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO GO.

>> IT COULD BE MORE AS A CULTURE WE ARE WILLING TO TURN A BLIND EYE TOWARDS -- AWAY FROM PEOPLE, VICTIMS AND POWER, PEOPLE LIKE R. KELLY OR JEFFREY EPSTEIN.

>> THAT'S IT FOR THIS EDITION.

PLEASE FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER AND VISIT OUR WEBSITE, PBS.ORG/TO-THE-CONTRARY.

WHETHER YOU AGREE OR THINK, TO THE CONTRARY, SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.

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