On Children As an instinct, we tend to look away at the problems we face. It is as if we feel we are in too deep and are now forced to accept life as it is, with an end not in sight. Poverty has become a severe problem that seems to worsen with the passing of time. Those who choose to look away get peace only in their minds, never thinking about the outcome it has on others. The effects of poverty on families in America create not only an unstable environment, but also put children in risk to have serious illness and health problems.
What qualifies as poverty? Merriam-Webster dictionary defines poverty as the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions. As of 2011, the United States Census Bureau presented data that showed 46. 2 million Americans were living in poverty. Out of those people, 16. 1 million of them were children [ (Staff Although poverty itself seems simple to understand, the underlying causes are both complicated and hard to determine. A simple explanation as to what causes poverty cannot be found; opinions range from person to person.
Some believe that those in poverty caused it themselves [ (Sociology: Causes and Effects of Poverty) They argue that in America, anything is possible. Other theorists suppose there are those who would rather “live in the moment,” than take a step back and look at the future [ (Sociology: Causes and Effects of Poverty) Another cause being considered is that those who live in poverty for so long eventually lose hope, in which they believe nothing is ever going to change; accepting the fact that living in poverty is the lifestyle they have [ (Sociology: Causes and Effects of Poverty)].
Although all are valid causes, holding all Americans responsible for living in poverty is not acceptable to others. As time passes, more and more people are beginning to think the economy is to blame. They theorize that the rise of the middle class has caused a shortage in full-time Jobs for those in poverty [ (Sociology: Causes and Effects of Poverty) Not only that, but some feel families would rather receive a welfare check than work part-time in a fast food chain or restaurant, not wanting to experience such a degrading Job.
Although the cause may ever be known, poverty has everlasting effects on both children and adults. Poverty may seem harmless, but the effects are serious, especially on children. The National Center for Health Statistics shows that those who grow up in poverty are 3. 6 times more likely to have more frequent and serious health problems compared to those growing up in middle-class families. Not only that, but it also says that those families are five times more likely to die from an infectious disease [ (Beriberi) Those problems also cause those children to frequently miss more school because of illness.
Poverty also creates an unstable environment where children are not able to receive proper nutrition or immunization, also resulting in a serious problem with the wellbeing of the child. Health problems are only the beginning. Poverty has an effect on children even before they are born. While children in poverty grow up with more health problems, those who are born into poverty are known to not only have a low birth weight, but also are more likely to die before their TLS birthday because tot health problems [ (Sociology: Causes and E Poverty) A national statistic shows that those children are also 1. Mimes more likely to have mental or physical disabilities. While tons of immediate effects can be found, they are Just the beginning to how poverty affects families in America. Education is one of the largest effects on children in poverty. In most cases, they receive an inferior education due to either frequent moving or under-funded schooling [ (Hinders) It becomes a problem at a very young age. Often, those children in poverty become behind due to not learning how to read and write very well, setting them back behind their classmates. Once they are behind, it becomes a instant struggle for them.
Moving from elementary school to Junior high, then to high school brings them to become more and more behind their classmates, often receiving poor grades. Those grades lead to them either dropping out of high school or passing and not pursuing an education in college [ (Hinders) Not receiving a college degree leads the child further into a never ending life battle. The effect that poverty has on children is deeper than we think. From birth, I believe living in poverty sets children up for a struggle that will last a life-time. The biggest question is, what can be done to help prevent families from falling into poverty?
I know the creation of Jobs would help families acquire the motivation to get back on their feet and have a life worth living; not only part-time, but high paying, full-time Jobs. Where there’s a will, there’s a way; I honestly believe poverty is preventable, it is a matter of finding the technique to cure it. As a society, we look away from our problems. We feel it is better to push them aside, and deal with them later down the road. The effects of poverty on families in America put hillier in serious danger to have both health problems and disabilities.
