Experts have said that the experiences that a child encounters in their surroundings throughout their childhood can either enhance or inhibit the unfolding of their inborn potential (12). Urban and rural communities showcase in many differences in a variety of categories. One of these areas is child welfare. Not only do urban children experience areas of life differently than those in rural communities, but they also receive resources adversely. However, there are actions that we, as a society, can take in order to ensure that all child have the opportunity to thrive. The standard definition of a rural area, as referred to by the United States government (5), is a community of fewer than 2,500 people, while the definition of an urban are is …show more content…
Large urban areas possess many challenges of their own to the children and adults who reside in them. Social service workers in urban areas have clients with complex, multiple needs that may differ from clients in smaller communities. Reliable and consistent workers are essential to successfully working with families such as these. In a recent study (8), the job satisfaction of social service workers in an urban child welfare agency was looked at using the Job Satisfaction Scale (JSS). The JSS measured various areas of satisfaction in the workplace, including work, supervision, coworkers, pay and promotion, work environment, training, and position. The results indicated that the staff were relatively satisfied. Neither the position of staff members, demographic factors nor prior experiences predicted job satisfaction. The findings also suggest that there are unique influences on intention to leave among three localities: urban, rural, and suburban show unique individual influences on social service job satisfaction. The data from a study looking at social service staff satisfaction in an urban setting indicated that social service staff, at least in a single agency, working in an urban setting are generally satisfied with their jobs. Given the challenges that social service staff in urban settings face on a day-to-day basis, these findings are relevant to those individuals administrating or …show more content…
More and more frequently, incidents of drug deals, gang violence, and domestic shootings are shown on the news. Many of these incidents occur in urban areas just steps away from where young children play. Healthy, fun environments within urban cities, such as playgrounds, community pools, and age-appropriate splash pads, can encourage children to safely enjoy being children and help them, refrain against life-altering actions such as drugs, gang violence, and sexual exploitation. Another way of installing safety within communities is by installing neighborhood watch programs. These committees make it their priority to insure the safety of all members within the community and take action in preventing dangerous
I believe that every citizen deserves good healthcare services regardless of his or her geographical area, income, or race. An underserved community is a community in which people are unable to obtain health care or have limited access to the health care system for different of reasons. These reasons include ethnic background, socioeconomic variables, lower salary in some areas, extreme weather, or other life circumstances that produces an uneven distribution of healthcare resources, including nurses. The individuals in underserved communities lack affordable comprehensive health insurance, have gaps in insurance, or are living in remote areas and unable to access care. Additionally, the lack of basic necessities such as money for food, medications,
Measures of prevention or intervention that can be taken include creating early prevention programs, collaboration between the school, police, and parents, and policy measures. Programs that focus on increasing positive interactions with peers and encourage self esteem can help deter a child from a lifestyle susceptible to gang recruiting later in life (Simon, Ritter, and Mahendra, 2013). Such programs are vital in the school environment, where a youth spends most of his/her day. Schools must take note of the common signs of a youth with a high risk of becoming a gang member, for instance, poor grades and performance, and social rejection in the form of being bullied or being the bully. Moreover, schools should offer programs that raise awareness
Laden, Greg. "Children from Low-income Families at Educational Disadvantage." Science Blog. N.p., 26 Dec. 2008. Web. 8 Jan. 2014.
Another obstacle Olivia and Sabreen encounter is the lack of adult support in the foster care system. Family support is a crucial variable mediating the influence of neighborhood on a child’s development (Burton & Jarrett, 2000); nonetheless, Olivia and Sabreen receive little support and guidance and must quickly survive on their own.
Many studies have shown that adolescents residing in low income or high crime neighborhoods are more likely to get involved with deviant behavior or committing criminal acts. (Deutsch, 2012) There are several neighborhood factors that affect the crime rates of the neighborhood such as overcrowding, low economic status, the neighborhood’s reputation and its residential instability. These may create a disorganized community, leading to distrust and cynicism among residents in the community. As a result, there would be a higher rate of opportunities for crimes and delinquency. (Kurlychek, 2011) Thus high rates of crimes and violence are more likely to occur at these areas.
Child welfare and family services: Policies and practices, USA: Parson Education Inc. Garbarino, J. (1992) The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secon Children and Families in the Social Environment, New York, NY: Walter De Gruyter, Inc. Walls, J. (2005). The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary The Glass Castle, New York, NY: SCRIBNER.
Living in a remote area has always been thought to have negative influences on the individual. There are 35 % of the total population in Australia living in rural area(Phillips, 2009).Rural areas in Australia and all over the world are not geographically isolated and disadvantaged only but also culturally and economically deprived which has great consequences on the health status of the population. The main two factors that have a major effect on rural health are socioeconomic status and cultural issues(Beard, Tomaska, Earnest, Summerhayes, & Morgan, 2009).
According to the Children Defense Fund 1 in 13 children will live in extreme poverty in the United States and a family of four is extremely poor if their income is below 10,000 or half of the official poverty line. (http://www.childrensdefense.org/child-research-data-publications/data/state-data-repository/census/census-2007-child-poverty-data.pdf,). Despite being wealthy the U.S. . has the highest rate of child poverty among all the other countries. Poor children are more likely to go hungry and are less likely to be read to during their early years. They are less likely to have health insurance and needed care. Poor children are more likely to start school behind their affluent peers and are less likely to graduate high school. They are more likely to grow up as poor adults and become involved in the criminal justice system. A family of four's annual income must be lower than 23,000 to reach child poverty. (http://www.childrensdefense.org/child-research-data-publications/state-of-americas-children/documents/2014-SOAC_child-poverty.pdf(). Children in single parent homes were four times more likely to be poor than children in two adult families. Almost 70 percent of all children live with two parents.(http://www.childrensdefense.org/child-research-data-publications/data/state-data.) The south has the highest child poverty rate with 1 in 4 children compared to 1 in 5 children in the rest of the country. Growing up in child poverty can be a major effect on a healthy development for a child. Poverty and stress about finances can have an effect on children's cognitive development and their ability to learn. It can contribute to behavioral problems, social and emotional problems, and poor health. Living in poverty affects how a chil...
The streets of Philadelphia are rapidly becoming a home to violent acts and random homicides. Innocent lives are taken every day due to the strong presence of gangs, and the streets are run by unruly groups of fearless young adults. Gang violence in Philadelphia is a major issue, and the citizens will never be safe until gang prevention occurs. Gang prevention is not a simple task, but with the right resources available, it is possible. Gang violence is a problem that will contribute to the collapse of Philadelphia, and it has yet to be solved throughout many generations. With gang violence on the rise, the best solution to gang violence is to educate the youth and parents about gangs and use family support to prevent the creation of gang members from the problem’s core.
We as Americans are extremely lucky. We live in a big country with many resources and almost all the luxuries we ever wanted. On the flip side, in America there are also many people who do not have these privileges. The lower class is a struggling class. For many years, people have been trying to pull themselves up from the lower class and the majority does not succeed. Childhood poverty is a large problem in the U.S. It is said that the poorest people in the United States are the children of the lower class. Childhood poverty could lead to a number of problems such as hunger, violence, physical and mental disabilities, educational problems, homelessness, family stress, sickness, and too-early parenthood. The sad truth is that living in poverty lowers a child’s chance to grow into a healthy, well-adjusted adult who will contribute to society.
Tashea argues, “By investing in recreation centers, we can provide alternatives to delinquency. By providing reception centers, Baltimore could create access to services for our most vulnerable youth” (1). Community centers are safe places for afterschool programs as Wilson and Philip, state, “For many youth, the recreation/drop-in center is a nonthreatening, relatively unstructured place to play sports and hang out in an otherwise high-risk urban area” (73). In Baltimore where the community leaders and stakeholders have brought the at-risk youth problem to the surface, they can start to see some positive outcomes. In positive data about a Baltimore Police Athletic League center Chung, et al., notes, “A study of the Goodnow Police Athletic League (PAL) center in northeast Baltimore, the first center to open in May 1995, also indicated that juvenile arrests dropped nearly 10 percent, the number of armed robberies dropped from 14 to 7, assaults with handguns were eliminated, and common assaults decreased from 32 to 20.3” (16). These statistics further prove that prevention options work effectively, and can greatly improve our American
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
About one in five children in the United States has the misfortune of living in a family whose income is below the official poverty threshold (Borman and Reimers 454). Poverty has harmful effects on a child’s academic outcomes, general health, development, and school readiness. The impact of poverty has on a child depends on many factors for instance community features ( crime rate in neighborhood and school characteristics) and the individuals present in the child’s life like their parents, neighbors, or relatives. It is clear that schools and outside environmental factors contribute to whether a child is successful or not in their academic life. A child’s family, neighborhood, and type of school effects that are related with poverty positions the child to be at considerable risk for neglecting school and failing in life in general; however, there are educational programs that can help give children a poverty a fair chance in succeeding in life and in school.
Community relating status has an effect on achievements, social comfort, and sexual activity. The perception of the community, both in terms of togetherness and safety, is also critical to adolescents. Positive relationships with adults within the community and opportunities for public engagement give adolescents a understanding of importance and help them feel connected to the neighborhood in which they live. Grievously, low income neighborhoods lack decent social and exercise-related resources, such as after-school and youth programs. This infrequency of services has a negative effect on youth growth in the community. Adolescents introduced to violence in the community are related to various behavioral and unconscious outcomes and has been found to be a distraction in school. The steady risk of violence in high-poverty communities prevents adolescents from picturing their life prospects because they are uncertain of even remain alive into
A Neighborhood Watch program consists of community crime prevention efforts involving local residents organizing and sharing information about crime and other nefarious activity in their immediate area. The essence of Neighborhood Watch is crime prevention through education and use of common sense. In cooperation with local law enforcement, citizens are taught how to properly identify and report suspicious activity or criminal offending in their neighborhoods. Watch groups primarily focus on observation and awareness as the main crime prevention strategies. These tactics can be as simple as having neighborhood residents keep vigilance on neighbors’ property to as complex as organizing active citizen patrol groups.