17% of American children live in poverty, with 39% in low-income households. Poverty has lasting effects on physical and emotional health, education, and future success. Generational poverty creates a culture of poverty and limits opportunities. Government and non-profit programs aim to alleviate poverty, but more needs to be done.
Poverty continues to be a problem in the United States. Research indicates that 17% of American children live in households with incomes below the federal poverty level, and approximately 39% live in households that could be classified as low-income. While there are more white children living in poverty, the percentage of Hispanic and African-American children growing up in poverty still remains disproportionately high.
The term poverty is usually used to simply refer to a lack of money, but living in a state of financial instability is both physically and emotionally damaging. While a child growing up in a middle-class suburb is taught that he can go to college, get married, have a rewarding career, and make a significant contribution to the world at large, a child born into poverty must struggle simply to make it adulthood. The long-term effects of poverty are why it is a social issue that deserves public attention.
A problem with lasting effects
Unfortunately, poverty becomes an obstacle to future success before a child is even born. Because poor women are more likely to be uninsured, they often wait to seek adequate antenatal care. Additionally, they may have high blood pressure, diabetes, or other medical conditions that put their baby at risk of delivering prematurely. This often leads to physical and/or developmental delays that cause a child to fall behind their peers.
Even taking into account the problems associated with the mother’s poor prenatal care, children in poverty have more health problems than their more affluent counterparts. For example, asthma problems are more common among children living in older buildings with poor ventilation. Obesity is also significantly more common among poor children, since a diet high in lean protein and fresh produce is typically too expensive for a low-income family even with the assistance of food stamps.
Mental health is another area that suffers from growing up in poverty. The stressful situations that often accompany poverty, such as divorce, death, job loss, or drug addiction, can create feelings of anxiety and depression that can last into adulthood. Parents who are struggling to provide basic necessities are often unable to spend much quality time with their children, leading to low self-esteem and lifelong difficulty forming strong relationships with others. Spending large amounts of time in poor-quality daycare, a situation much more common among children in poverty, can also negatively impact a child’s emotional health.
Once they reach primary school, children living in poverty often receive a poor education because they are forced to move frequently or attend underfunded schools. This is one of the more worrying long-term effects of poverty. Chances are that a child who does not learn to read and write proficiently in elementary school will continue to struggle as a high school student. With poor grades in high school, his prospects for attending college are seriously limited. Since career advancement in the modern economy is often linked to educational attainment, the lack of a college degree places the poor child in a life of struggle.
Adolescents living in poverty are significantly more likely to experience drugs, alcohol and risky sexual behavior. Poor teens are also more likely to engage in wrongful acts, ranging from petty shoplifting to serious gang activity. At a time when they should be laying the foundation for their success as adults, teens living in poverty often make bad decisions that will only serve to further complicate their lives.
Understanding generational poverty
According to sociologists, there are two different types of poverty. Situational poverty occurs when a family experiences an adverse change in finances due to illness, job loss, or other temporary events. Living in poverty, while still traumatic, usually has minimal and lasting effects. Generational poverty, however, is a persistent and long-term struggle that occurs when two or more generations of the same family live in poverty. Generational poverty is considered by many to be one of the most difficult long-term effects to resolve.
When entire families struggle to meet their basic needs, a “culture of poverty” begins to form. People begin to develop ingrained beliefs that limit their chances of future success. This may include viewing crime as an acceptable alternative to traditional work or not believing that children need to work hard to get good grades in school. While children growing up in middle-class or upper-class families are taught to focus on the future and the potential to change their lives, children living in generational poverty often grow up believing that their current circumstances are determined only by fate and by factors beyond their control.
What can we do?
The federal government has established a number of programs to help reduce the long-term effects of poverty on a child’s development. The Women’s, Infants, and Children’s Nutrition Program (WIC) helps provide nutritious food to pregnant women and children under the age of five. Head Start provides free pre-school to children from poor families, helping to lay the foundation for future academic success. Every U.S. state also has a program to provide free or low-cost health insurance to children in poverty.
Several non-profit community organizations have also initiated programs to combat the long-term effects of poverty. Big Brothers Big Sisters of America provides positive adult role models for at-risk children. The Salvation Army offers summer camp experiences for low-income children, teaching sports, arts and crafts, music, and outdoor wilderness skills. At Christmas, many churches sponsor families in need to make sure all children are able to celebrate the holiday regardless of their financial circumstances.
While these programs go some way to alleviating the burden of poverty, the war on poverty is far from over. Until there are enough jobs available that provide a real living wage and more care for parents struggling with addiction and mental health issues, poor children will continue to be at a distinct disadvantage.
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