POVERTY
CHILDREN
IN
Young children are the most vulnerable and affected groups in society when experiencing poverty. Since children are dependent and attached to their caregiver or guardians and therefore cannot get rid of the impoverished environment by themselves due to their young age and lack of resources (World Vision 2018).
Living in extreme poverty has especially adverse impacts on early years (under five years old) development and learning. Research has shown the earlier poverty strikes in the development process, the more detrimental effects and long-lasting its effects. Initial developmental issues emerged in child poverty would be further exacerbated and cumulated by sequent poverty (Aber et al. 1997).
The long-term poor achieves significantly lower scores on school performance than those who are not poor. In particular, health, cognitive and socioemotional factors associated with children’s educational development should be discussed (Duchesne && McMaugh 2019, p. 486).
Implications
Health factors
According to Aber (1997), children who are persistently poor are at higher risk for many adverse health outcomes.
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Poor nutrition (Malnutrition) is one of the factors which may be detrimental to children’s brain growth, physical growth and weaken the protection against diseases. Insufficient nutrition intake can also result in poor cognitive functions such as long-term memory and lethargy. Such consequences would cause illness, low motivation and frequently absent in school (Evans 2006).
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Inadequate access to health care. It is difficult for children who live in poverty to be diagnosed and treated in time.
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Exposure to particular environmental hazards. It is rather difficult for poor children to avoid environmental hazards since they cannot choose where they live. Therefore, environmental factors such as overcrowded, substandard housing and poor air quality compel children to survive in a passive position.
Parenting Factors
Studies illustrate that the lover achievement of children in school mainly results in poor parental education (Bradley & Corwyn 2002; McLaughlin, Gilfillan & Gordon, 2013; Raffo et al., 2010). Parental education heavily affects children’s cognitive and social-emotional development.
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Emotional wellbeing
Emotional well-being embraces the emotional aspects of family quality of life, such as adaptability, positive thinking, identity, happiness, and stress/exhaustion. Stress is the main theme in terms of the impact of poverty on children’s emotional wellbeing (Boston & Chapple, 2014; Bradley & Corwyn, 2002).
Consider some of the likely sources of stress that people living in poverty could encounter: employment uncertainty, lack of financial security, having to move house often, and living in neighbourhoods with high levels of violence, overcrowding and substandard housing conditions.
Chronic stress directly affects children’s neurological development and can lead to memory and learning difficulties, as well as the reduced ability for the person to cope with stress later in life. (Duchesne && McMaugh 2019, p. 490).
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Social/community wellbeing
Low-income families tend to live in low-income neighbourhoods, often characterized by high density, crime, and few opportunities for academic socialization.
Schools are often under-funded, beset by disciplinary problems, staffed by poorly equipped teachers, and confronted with difficulties meeting their educational mandates. (Engle & Black 2008, p.5)
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Cognitive development
Early cognitive development is highly pertinent to the family’s ability to provide intellectually stimulating experiences (Bradley et.al. 1994). Poor families cannot afford to pay for quality childcare or stimulating resources during children’s early childhood.
Resources such as toys, books, and school-offered extracurricular activities (camp, museums or private music lessons) which can extend children’s knowledge and communication are deficient in developing children’s cognitive stimulation, both academic and language.
For those who cannot be financially responsible for their children’s learning in school would limit cognitive growth and reduce children’s benefits from school (Duchesne & McMaugh 2019, p. 487; Park and Turnbull 2002).
