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Effect of poverty on education
Effect of poverty on education
How can poverty impact mental health
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Statement of the Problem There are too many children living in poverty. To understand the problem one must first look at the definition of poverty. The definition used by the government to benchmark a family’s economic struggle is clear-cut: A specific dollar amount for yearly income is used as a starting point for families of a given size in a given year, and if the family falls below that line they are considered to be living in poverty (Abner, Morris, & Raver, 2012). There are other ways poverty can be defined such as, “relative poverty”, “subjective poverty”, and “family self-sufficiency” (Abner, Morris, & Raver, 2012), However, for the purposes of this paper the definition of the government will be used. Over 16 million children in the …show more content…
Childhood poverty in early childhood especially deep poverty, is connected to a broad range of problems in physical-biological, cognitive-academic, and social-emotional development (Duncan & Brooks-Gunn, 1997). These problems can persist into adulthood. Abner, Morris, & Raver (2012), say that “poverty itself is a major contributor to many of the most serious social problems facing our nation,” this includes widening health and academic disparities.
Children living in poverty are more likely to not have access to quality, preventative health care and have more hospitalizations and deaths than those children who are not in poverty (Effect on Child, n.d.). Children born to mothers living in poverty have a greater chance of being premature and to have difficulties at birth due to exposure to toxins in poor neighborhoods, smoking or drug use of the mother, and lack of prenatal care (Özkan, 2010). Children born into poverty are more likely to have high lead levels and the disabilities that come from high lead levels (Effect on Child, n.d.). They are also more likely to have respiratory illnesses, dental problems and sensory impairment (Özkan, 2010). Miller and Chen (2013),
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.
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
Whether you're white, African-American, or Hispanic, poverty for today's youth has many recurring themes. A recent article by Duncan and Brooks for The Education Digest points out some very discerning facts that face today's poor youth. "Low Income is linked with a variety of poor outcomes for children, from low birth weight and poor nutrition in infancy to increased chances of academic failure, emotional distress, and unwed childbirth in adolescence." (Duncan& Brooks, pg. 1). They also claim that low-income preschoolers show poorer cognitive and verbal skills because they are exposed to fewer toys, books, and other brain-stimulating items at home than their higher-income classmates.
Wight, V. R., Chau, M., & Aratani, Y. (2010, Jan). National Center for Children in Poverty. Retrieved from Who are America’s Poor Children?: http://www.nccp.org/publications/pub_912.html
According to the Children's Defense Fund, 13.5 million children living in America today are poor, and 5.8 million of them are living in extreme poverty, with incomes below half the poverty line. The issues related to poverty -- from substandard housing and malnutrition, to inadequate health and child care services, to severe emotional stress and violence -- are complex and interconnected. Therefore, attempting to understand the problem and propose possible solutions appears to be an overwhelming task. Garbarino effectively provides a lens through which to view the social forces affecting childhood development. Aletha Huston, on the other hand, in her book Children in Poverty: Child Development and Public Policy, proposes a "child-centered" analysis, which focuses on the child's healthy development as "a goal in its own right," rather than as part of a larger social-economic context.
Throughout the U.S. approximately “21 percent of kids are living in poverty” (“Child Poverty”). This shows that child poverty impacts both urban and rural populations and is crippling one out of every five children in the U.S. With poverty being so diverse and widespread this puts a lot of pressure on kids to try to escape. Also, with so many of America's kids living in poverty, it leaves a good chunk of America's population at risk for damaging effects. In another study by NCCP, they found that “42 percent of kids born into the bottom fifth of the wage class will stay there” (Frass). This shows that with so many kids in poverty that a lot of them are going to be stuck in poverty. This is an issue because serious health concerns are in place with people in poverty such as poor living conditions and inadequate food supplies. This statistic also affects children due to the fact that there is a greater chance for these kids to have children who are born into poverty, thus perpetuating the
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
Yoshikawa, H., Aber, J. L., & Beardslee, W. R. (2012). The effects of poverty on the mental, emotional, and behavioral health of children and youth: Implications for prevention. American Psychologist, 67(4), 272.
Poverty itself is a controversial and widely debated issue with a variety of opposing viewpoints. Despite differences in opinions on how poverty should be treated, the vast majority agrees that poverty is a problem plagues the nation on both economic and social levels. Economically, poverty affects everyone. As taxes are paid by the entire nation, poverty influences where our money goes and how it is spent. Socially, poverty affects families and individuals on an emotional level. Impoverishment affects happiness and health, the decisions people make, and most importantly the development of children. To best understand poverty, one must look at the issue economically and socially, and contextualize the numbers surrounding poverty as well as
Poverty is “the inability to acquire enough money to meet basic needs including food, clothing and shelter” (Gosselin,2009). This social disadvantage limits one’s ability to receive a quality education and it is a constant problem throughout the world accompanied with“deleterious impacts on almost all aspects of family life and outcomes for children”(Ravallion,1992). Poverty is a main factor that affects normal human growth and development in a variety of ways, primarily impacting children’s early development, social behaviour, health, and self worth.
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
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.
It limits children’s opportunities and confines their cognitive and modern society’s development. This is why it is important that during early childhood parents understand that this is a critical developmental time, in which they need to establish financial stability, a house on top of the child’s head, and food on the table. Reducing child poverty has been a policy that needs attention from parents, educators, and media. However, the need for reduction of persistent poverty in homes with children has been dismissed and only urgent to social service professionals and adults who grew up through poverty. It is relevant that parents, single or married, are aware of what contributes to families’ poverty before they consider starting a family. Persistent poverty, during childhood, is a hidden social issue that parents and societies must start to engage in. Without conversations, defects of poor children will continue to be a problem within social services professionals and not our
Poverty is an undeniable problem in America. In 2014, 14.8 percent of the United States was in poverty (“Hunger and Poverty Fact Sheet”). There are more people in the United States than it seems that do not have their basic necessities. In an
Living in poverty exposes children to disadvantages that influence many aspects in their life that are linked to their ability to do well in school. In the United States of America there are an estimated 16.4 million children under the age of 18 living in poverty (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). “The longer a child lives in poverty, the lower the educational attainment” (Kerbo, 2012). Children who are raised in low-income households are at risk of failing out before graduating high school (Black & Engle, 2008). U.S. children living in poverty face obstacles that interfere with their educational achievement. Recognizing the problems of living in poverty can help people reduce the consequences that prevent children from reaching their educational potential.