7 Ways That Poverty Effects Children

Poverty is full of hardships that are both seen and unseen. In the United States, alone, more than 20 percent of children under the age of 18 are officially “poor." For the federal government, this means that these children live in a household whose family income falls below the poverty line: a number that is set by the Census Bureau at three times the cost of a minimum food diet in 1963, updated annually for inflation using the Consumer Price Index, and adjusted for family size, composition, and age of householder; for a family of four, this number fell at $24,563 in 2016. These statistics, however, are even more alarming when we consider the fact that most of these numbers stems from children living under the age of 5: the years of rapid brain development. As such, these children end up at a disadvantage, both mentally and physically, when compared to higher-income based families.

1. A Child's Physical Health Gets Put Into Danger

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Children in poverty have a higher chance of suffering from several health factors. With families earning an income below the federal poverty line, many find it hard to purchase an adequate amount of food and they lack the resources to provide their children with proper medical care. Research has found that a relationship exists between poverty and several key measures of child health, such as low birth weight (2,500 grams or less) and infant mortality, growth stunting, and lead poisoning (four to five million children are said to reside in homes with lead levels exceeding the accepted threshold for safety).

2. Children are Raised in Inadequate Nurturing Enviornments

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With child’s primary location constituted at home, one of the greatest influences in a child’s life is the physical environment in which they are cared for. Studies have shown that children born into poverty are more likely to have open cracks in the wall and ceiling, holes in the floor, a leaky roof, signs of rats, and exposed wires. Thus, as one of the highest mediating factors of poverty going into improper property care, the quality and safety of their homes has been shown to reflect the quality of their mental and emotional well-being.

3. Children are Cared for Poorly

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Although indirectly, stress is another factor that has a big impact on poor children. As parents face a limited ability to obtain stable amounts of economic resources (food, school supplies, furniture, etc.), unstable work conditions, and are at a greater risk of job loss, they are bound to face psychological distress and, as such, will have the reduced ability to provide effective caregiving. Moreover, stress influences a parent’s parenting style, which is often characterized by harsh discipline and punitiveness and by a lack of attention (warmth and support). As a result, these practices can lead to behavior problems, such as aggression and delinquency, in children.

4. Poverty Creates a Gap in a Child's Cognitive Abilities

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Children living below the poverty threshold, when compared to more fortunate children, are 1.3 times more likely to experience learning disabilities and developmental delays. According to a recent study from the Children of the NLSY and the IHDP, on various standardized tests of IQ, verbal ability, and achievements, children in low-income households scored 6 to 13 points lower than other children. From an educational perspective, this point difference can decide whether a child is placed in special education classes or not.

5. A Child's Future is at Risk

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The most important thing in a child’s life is their education; it is something that cannot be taken away from them. Although income contributes to the availability of educational resources readily available for children and, thus, plays an important role in their academic success, the level of their parents’ education, their family structure, and their neighborhood is even more important.

6. Teenage Pregnancy and Out-of-Wedlock Births Increases

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With the rate of out-of-wedlock births among poor teens being three times as high as the rate among those financially advantage, studies have shown that income is directly proportional to pregnancy. As such, teens in disadvantaged families face a greater risk in having out-of-wedlock births. In a study conducted by the University of Michigan, it was noted that the contraceptive usage rate among women was the same, however, the quality of precautions taken differed between those in and out of poverty. A woman's socioeconomic background, thus, can either increase or decrease the risk of unintended pregnancies.

7. The Intergenerational Cycle of Poverty is Fueled

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The saying, “I didn’t choose the thug life, the thug chose me,” is a pretty depressing statement, when it comes down to it, about the tragic cycle of poverty. Children who are born into poverty face disadvantages at an early start in their life and, many, find it hard to recover. With various education resources relying on income, a lack of it, thus, hinders educational opportunity. As such, with an absence of an appropriate education in this time, fewer job opportunities are available for adolescents. In studies among children who experienced poverty as children, it was found that people were more than three times as likely to be poor at age 30 as those who were never poor as children.