The reasons people find themselves in poverty are various including, family history, serious medical issues (including bills for treatment), physical injury, job loss, divorce, single parenthood (specifically women), the elderly on a pension, lack of education, drug abuse, and low minimum wage. Finding oneself in poverty is not always the fault of the individual.
One of the cultural components that lead to a culture of poverty is a feeling of hopelessness. People begin to believe that poverty is their way of life and there is no escaping it. According to Oscar Lewis (1959, 1966), “…people who remain poor year after year have developed a way of life that traps them in poverty” (as cited in Henslin, 2014, p. 209). They simply stop trying and accept the status quo. They are prone to have dangerous traits such as alcoholism, physical violence, family abuse, and broken marriages (Henslin, 2014, p. 209). …show more content…
These are no-fault social issues. These are the social issues of victims. To improve these conditions, the individual (victim) should have counseling available to alleviate any after-effects of the crime (except mental illness). The cost of counseling should not be incurred by the victim (if uninsured). Some victims of sexual abuse have self-destructive symptoms as stated above, and counseling may help curb such behavior. Those that are mentally ill should be helped accordingly. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Community Planning and Development (2011), “an estimated 26% of homeless adults staying in shelters live with serious mental illness and an estimated 46% live with severe mental illness and/or substance use disorders” (as cited in National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2011). These people need
One of the cultural components that lead to a culture of poverty is a feeling of hopelessness. People begin to believe that poverty is their way of life and there is no escaping it. According to Oscar Lewis (1959, 1966), “…people who remain poor year after year have developed a way of life that traps them in poverty” (as cited in Henslin, 2014, p. 209). They simply stop trying and accept the status quo. They are prone to have dangerous traits such as alcoholism, physical violence, family abuse, and broken marriages (Henslin, 2014, p. 209). …show more content…
These are no-fault social issues. These are the social issues of victims. To improve these conditions, the individual (victim) should have counseling available to alleviate any after-effects of the crime (except mental illness). The cost of counseling should not be incurred by the victim (if uninsured). Some victims of sexual abuse have self-destructive symptoms as stated above, and counseling may help curb such behavior. Those that are mentally ill should be helped accordingly. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Community Planning and Development (2011), “an estimated 26% of homeless adults staying in shelters live with serious mental illness and an estimated 46% live with severe mental illness and/or substance use disorders” (as cited in National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2011). These people need