What is Child Poverty?
Child poverty is often defined as children living in low-income families at or below this poverty line. However, it’s important to recognize that child poverty is also far from just economic.
When we consider what actually causes poverty, we realize that money is only part of the solution, particularly when children are involved.
While poverty also affects a child’s entire physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing, the effects are worsened for these little ones. Poverty shapes a child’s development, affecting their attitudes, behaviors, beliefs and dreams.
How Does Poverty Affect Children?
We often consider childhood a time of innocence. Childhood should be a time for learning, playing and exploring all the possibilities the world offers. But children living in poverty don’t have that experience.
The effects of poverty on children are wide-ranging and far-reaching. For example, when early childhood development is hindered, we see many long-term effects, such as chronic illnesses due to a lack of adequate nutrition and medical care early in life.
Anxiety, fear and a lack of self-confidence can keep children in poverty from pursuing new opportunities. If they’re abused, they often don’t have the skills or resources to speak up for themselves and can easily be ignored, leading to more abuse.
A child’s psychology is also impacted by poverty. Children who do not have confidence or support often believe the world wants them to fail, and they give up.
Children who live in poverty learn hopelessness. They grow up believing that the world doesn’t get better and that their situation will never change. It didn’t change for their parents, it wasn’t any different for their grandparents, and their own children will experience poverty as well.