Childhood development is both a biological and psychological period that occurs to every human from birth to adolescence. The transition from dependency to autonomy characterizes this period. The crucial factors that affect this period include parental life, prenatal development and genetics among others. Childhood period is immensely significant for the child’s future health and development. Efforts in ensuring proper child development are normally seen through parents, health professional and educators who work collectively. Such efforts are essential in making sure that children grow to reach their full potential. However, it is not extremely easy to raise a child in modern times because certain factors emerge to ruin this pivotal stage in life. Poverty is a serious problem that can immensely affect childhood development (Horgan, 2007). Children are susceptible developmentally to problems in their earliest period of their life. Poverty is not a selective issue and it can affect all ages in any place, but its …show more content…
Poverty causes corrosion of families and parental relationships parents making it extremely hard for parents to get involved in parenting and providing for the childhood basic needs. Parental stress affects the development process of a child, and extreme stress can impair the neuron pathways of the child’s brain, which is underdeveloped (Kail, 2006). As a result, continuous problems in learning, physical and mental health and learning emerge in the child’s life. Studies affirm that the prevalence of poverty is high in households with non-English residents, single parents and large families with high illiteracy levels. All these are contributing factors of poverty that result in stress. This implies that children in these families are exposed to childhood development problems, but it should not guarantee that children raised in English families do not experience childhood development
The development of children withstanding poverty can be impacted radically by its cruel effects on their everyday lives. Children which must endure the likes of poverty are more likely to suffer chronic illness during childhood or to have a disability (cpag). This is truly a travesty, a large portion of our next generation is suffering from an issue that burden’s many on this planet. Some of them do receive financial support, but many are left to fight for their own lives in the battle against starvation. Poverty had been thought to be primarily a financial issue for many years, but recent studies show that the brains of
Poverty has many influences on children under the age of 16. The research fined out that in recent year, an increasing number of children become poor, live under the poverty condition- childhood poverty lasted 10 years or more. So, what does the poverty exactly mean to children? According to Brook-Gunn and Duncan, The kids who live in the poverty condition have the low quality of schools; more likely to have domestic violence and become homeless; less access to friends, services, etc. (Brooks-Gunn et all, 1997) That points out the disadvantage and how the family income influence youngsters overall childhood, since under the poverty condition, they children do not have enough money to support for their necessary needs, they will more likely to have low self-confidence and hard to blend in with their peers. Poverty has impact on children’s achievement in several different ways. Payne (2003) maintained that the poverty could affect children achievement though emotional, mental, financial, and role models (Payne, 2003). Thus, the children from low-income family are more likely to have self-destructive behavior, lack of control emotional response and lack of necessary intellectual, that is really important for the students under the age of 16. Nevertheless, the children who suffer from poverty are usually have low birth weight and low cognitive ability
Allhusen, V., Belsky, J., Booth-LaForce, C., Bradley, R., Brownell, C. A., Burchinal, M., & ... Weinraub, M. (2005). Duration and Developmental Timing of Poverty and Children's Cognitive and Social Development from Birth Through Third Grade. Child Development, 76(4), 795-810. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2005.00878.x
In addition to providing alarming statistics about the rate of childhood poverty, Jenson & Fraser highlight how much poverty can adversely affect the outcomes of children both directly and indirectly by impacting them at a familial and community levels (31-34).
...r lives were like. They found that 86% of the resilient children seemed to doing well as adults and compared with non-vulnerable children had a higher rate of reporting to be happy. However, they did record high amount of health problems such as dizziness, back problems for men and pregnancy, childbirth for women. In addition, other children from the vulnerable group reported significantly better results compared to their teenage selves e.g. going back to school, getting a job etc. the study proves to show that children can grow up to be competent members of the society even if born into impoverished environment and under stressful situations as long as there is a balance between the environment, stress and support. she suggest early intervention programs and nurturing environments for children in vulnerable conditions to improve the child’s development in future.
It is not difficult to document that poor children suffer a disproportionate share of deprivation, hardship, and bad outcomes. More than 16 million children in the United States – 22% of all children – live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level – $23,550 a year for a family of four. (Truman, 2005) Living in poverty rewires children 's brains and reports show that it produces prolonged effects. Also, growing up in a community with dangerous streets, gangs, confused social expectations, discouraging role models, and few connections to outsiders commanding resources becomes a burden for any child. The concern about the number of children living in poverty arises from our knowledge of the problems children face because of poverty.
Even the mere inequality of wealth in a child’s social, cultural, or educational setting can have effects on a child’s peer to peer interactions, hierarchical structure and their ability to achieve. Gorard 2010 as discussed in Victoria Cooper, 2014 (p160), links poverty and or social deprivation with lower academic results. In the Xiao Bo case study by Child poverty research and policy centre, 2013 (Heather Montgomery, 2014) it demonstrates the multifaceted effects of poverty on a child, such as the stresses it places on the family to educate children, pressure on the children themselves to succeed in education to enable them to assist with family finances and lifestyle, the compromises and sacrifices made as a family unit in lifestyle and financial planning in order to pursue education of the child, as well as demonstrating the wide range of instigators that create inequalities of wealth, such as political/policy decisions, loopholes in aid assistance, cost of education and unequal access to resources. In 2001 the Millennium development goals were set out in response to the millennium summit of the united nations to reduce poverty and its associated issues, of the eight goals, the first goal was to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, demonstrating the comprehension of the wide ranging affect of poverty on children and society as a whole, and an understanding that poverty ‘Damages children in every way’ as stated by Unicef
In the United States, the phenomenon of child poverty has reached unprecedented levels in only the last couple of years. Poverty is known as a state of deprivation and a lack of monetary income or material possessions. The level of poverty is most often gauged by the poverty threshold, which is set by the United States Census Bureau. Children in impoverished families have access to fewer material goods compared to their counterparts in middle-class or high income families and are at a greater risk for developing mental health and behavioral problems. Children being born into poverty exacerbates their chances of growing up as impoverished adults. The public concern for children in poverty highlights their material well-being,
Children living in poverty in The United States have been a common overlooked problem. Throughout the years this problem has become very apparent in many of Americas major cities and towns. Around fifteen million children are suffering each day because they live below the poverty line. Many of these children did not choose to live below the poverty line, but were just born into a rough upbringing. The opportunities for these children to enjoy their childhood by playing sports or doing other activities is commonly cut short as many have to grow up and be an adult early to support themselves or contribute to their family. This nationwide issue does not only affect the child’s financial situation, but it also has major effects on their academic
Child poverty refers to the number of children that are living in poverty. The United States has one of the highest childhood poverty rates out of all the developed nations in the world. To be more exact, 16 million children in the United States live in poverty (National Center for Children in Poverty 2014). That means 22% of children in America live in poverty. These children live in households with an income that is less than the federal poverty level, which is $23,550 a year. According to Bernstein (2008), in order for a family to have a basic standard of living they would need a household income of $48,778, more than double what they are actually making. Children living in poverty tend to experience many adverse developmental affects due to a lack of secure attachment with caregivers and a lack of resources provided to them by their families. This can cause social, emotional and behavioral problems for the children. This paper will focus on the behavioral problems children in poverty
Thus, poverty has extreme detrimental effects and consequences for children and families suffering through it. It is still unclear whether poverty can ever be eradicated as there are millions still in poverty around the world. The effects of poverty on children have extreme consequences for the early stages of their development, and the consequences for a family relies on the income inadequacies that many in poverty face. These consequences are reinforced by Saunders (2005) as discussed throughout this essay. Therefore, poverty has some major damaging effects for all individuals involved.
The topic that I chose to write about is “Solutions to childhood poverty”. I will be researching different resources and solutions to put an end to childhood poverty. Childhood poverty is very crucial across the states taking a toll on many innocent children and their families. When I hear childhood poverty I think of children who come from poor families who don’t have the proper resources to get their needs met. This is an issue for me because we need to be role models for these children to provide for them and give them a good life so that they can continue to procreate and set the same examples for their future families. We are the leaders who need to lead positive lifestyles with continuing our education and get out of poverty. Children look up to us and mirror our actions and learn from what we have to offer them. I’m not saying life is easy, but we must work for it. Millions of Americans are earning low class wages struggle to put food on the table and make ends meet and this can lead to many disasters like homelessness, loss of your children to DCFS and
When analyzing children growing up in poverty a lot of factors come into play such as their physical, psychological and emotional development. To grow up in poverty can have long term effect on a child. What should be emphasized in analyzing the effects of poverty on children is how it has caused many children around the world to suffer from physical disorders, malnutrition, and even diminishes their capacities to function in society. Poverty has played a major role in the functioning of families and the level of social and emotional competency that children are able to reach. Children in poverty stricken families are exposed to greater and emotional risks and stress level factors. They are even capable of understanding and dealing with their own emotions as well as the emotions of others. Some of the implications of poverty include educational setbacks, issues with social behaviors and hindrances in psychological and physical development. Poverty deprives children of the capabilities needed to survive, develop and prosper in society. Studies have shown that the income status of a household and even the neighborhoods in which they reside can affect the amount of readily available resources needed to sustain a healthy child. This essay will examine the psychological and physical effects of poverty on children. The psychological aspect will include a look at behavioral problems in children, depression, chronic stress, and conduct disorders such as ADHD. Poverty is known to decrease the amount of psychological and physical capabilities in children which can have long term adverse effects on their wellbeing.
Poverty is the state of being very poor, unable to provide the daily needs for themselves along with the household. It is an extremely large problem in Canada, as well as various other countries, especially in third world countries. The paucity of poverty begins affecting children in their early years then increasingly worsens throughout their growth. The ability to use what has been taught in school has been a major effect that has caused numerous problems in trying to escape poverty. The main questions this paper will be addressing is: how does poverty affect the brain 's development, what does this means for the child, how does poverty affects the future life of children, and what we can be done to prevent effects from occurring, or how to start to eliminating poverty
‘Deep poverty affects approximately 3.9 million young children, making them vulnerable and limiting their life experiences.”(deep poverty) The effects of poverty today are huge effecting not only children but “The World Bank projects that the number of people living in poverty fell to 702 million people in 2015, or about 9.6% of the global population.” (World poverty rate).Even though there are many systems out there helping these children, they are still vastly suffering by not being able to go to school to have a formal education and having low educational scores, malnutrition, and missing key social events causing social incompetence.