Imagine waking up hungry every day, worrying about where you will sleep at night, and struggling to focus on even the simplest task while these thoughts consume your mind. Now imagine living with this stress and uncertainty as a child. According to United States Census data, approximately 20 percent of all children under the age of 18 were living in poverty in 2013. (DeNavas-Walt and Proctor). The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines poverty as “the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions.” However, in the United States, poverty means much more than just existing under the income level of $24,850 per year for a family of four. (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services). It means living in
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Emotional problems like anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem often lead to behavioral issues including difficulty getting along with peers, aggression, and other conduct disorders. For instance, children living in unsafe, low-income neighborhoods may be exposed to various forms of violence which can increase the likelihood of aggression and difficulty in getting along with their peers and place them at a greater risk of entry into the juvenile justice system. Because poverty stricken families often lack sufficient access to health care, to include mental health care, such emotional and behavioral issues will go untreated and continue to affect these children into adulthood, perpetuating the cycle of poverty. ("Effects of poverty, hunger, and homelessness on children and youth").
When children suffer academically, physically and psychosocially they cannot grow into adults that can better the society around them and therefore, children of future generations will come to suffer in the same manner. Absent finding a solution to the problem in its entirety or a remedy for the resulting adverse effects that plague our children living in such unfortunate circumstances, the never-ending cycle of poverty will continue to tear down future generations one family, one school, and one neighborhood at a
Emotional problems like anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem often lead to behavioral issues including difficulty getting along with peers, aggression, and other conduct disorders. For instance, children living in unsafe, low-income neighborhoods may be exposed to various forms of violence which can increase the likelihood of aggression and difficulty in getting along with their peers and place them at a greater risk of entry into the juvenile justice system. Because poverty stricken families often lack sufficient access to health care, to include mental health care, such emotional and behavioral issues will go untreated and continue to affect these children into adulthood, perpetuating the cycle of poverty. ("Effects of poverty, hunger, and homelessness on children and youth").
When children suffer academically, physically and psychosocially they cannot grow into adults that can better the society around them and therefore, children of future generations will come to suffer in the same manner. Absent finding a solution to the problem in its entirety or a remedy for the resulting adverse effects that plague our children living in such unfortunate circumstances, the never-ending cycle of poverty will continue to tear down future generations one family, one school, and one neighborhood at a