Cumulative Effects of Poverty on Children’s Social Emotional Dev (Reading)

Question 1

What are the main findings for this study?

Answer 1

1. The study found no differences in socio-emotional issues in children who had lived in absolute poverty and those children who have not lived in absolute poverty
2. In contrast, those that lived in relative poverty had more socio-emotional problems than those that did not live in relative poverty
3. Older children are more aware of their living conditions and SES therefore they become more psychologically distressed

Question 2

What is the article saying about gender, race/ethnicity in relationship to poverty?

Answer 2

1. Boys of minority status who grow up in low income, single-parent households have higher risks of behavior problems and psychological problems than girls with the same adversities
2. Black children had significantly higher behavioral problem scores than Hispanic and white children
3. Children of mothers with no high school education or only with high school education had more socio- emotional problems
4. Children who lived in households with 1–2 children had more socio-emotional problems than those who lived with 5 or more children in a household (common in Hispanic and Black families)

Question 3

What are the implications?

Answer 3

• Need to review current poverty guidelines of means-tested programs to determine if they target the neediest population.
• Early intervention like Headstart may be beneficial, must research this more
• Family support has a big impact on well-being