Detrimental Effects of Poverty

1552 Words4 Pages

Often seen but never observed, hiding just beneath the line of sight to those who are blind to the suffering. Why do people not discern so much suffering, why won’t they see? Blue eyes and blond hair, attached to a dirty little round face, which stares blankly out the smeared window. As they pass by, they see but do not observe, curtains that hang sloppily off their rod, sideways against the cracked window pane. People remark with distain over the filth they observe, and confirm to themselves, how much distress the poor deserve.
The effects of poverty are extremely detrimental, those who suffer from poverty suffer not only from an empty stomach, but from long term negative developmental and socio-emotional effects. The effects of poverty can be witnessed in the lack of physical development, proper hygiene, and poor general medical and dental care. However, poverty digs much deeper into the impoverished than just those things which are physical. People who are impoverished suffer from low self-esteem, psychological and social dysfunction, as well as an increased likelihood of drug abuse and teen pregnancy. The impoverished are less likely to be seen as a social problem, rather they are more likely to be viewed as social deviants who, through their own choice, do not want to change the way they live. They do not want to achieve success through hard work and effort. Poverty levels, those who are considered impoverished, and to the extent of their poverty is based on the amount of annual income available to them, above the base line poverty levels set by the government based on the economy.
According to the United States Census Bureau: Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States 2010 (2011), in 2010...

... middle of paper ...

...s." Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare 36.1 (2009): 103-122. Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.
"Poverty In The United States." Congressional Digest 89.10 (2010): 298-300. Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.
United States. Department of Commerce, Public Information Office. Income, poverty and health insurance coverage in the United States: 2010. 2011. Print. http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/income_wealth/cb11-157.html
Wadsworth, Martha E., et al. "An Indirect Effects Model Of The Association Between Poverty And Child Functioning: The Role Of Children's Poverty-Related Stress." Journal Of Loss & Trauma 13.2/3 (2008): 156-185. Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.
Wood, David. "Effect Of Child And Family Poverty On Child Health In The United States." Pediatrics 112.3 (2003): 707-711. Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 Jan. 2014.

More about Detrimental Effects of Poverty

Open Document