Children in the Poor
Growing up in a poor environment plagued by pollution, lack of food, neglectful parents and reckless peers has been proven to have a negative effect on the learning ability and behavior of a child. As stated by Doctor Jennifer Baxt “The environment in which people live can have one of the greatest, lasting effects on a person for the rest of their life.” Children brought up in these predicaments tend to suffer more than their peers raised in wealthy, nurturing environments.
Robert Rector, author of the article “How Poor Are America's Poor? Examining the ‘Plague’ of Poverty in America,” mentions that in the United States of America approximately 37 million people are poor. Of these less fortunate Americans, material belongings are not the issue. Some of these families own homes and vehicles and at least 97% of these people even own at least one color television (Rector). However, 30% of poverty stricken Americans face over crowded homes, temporary hunger spells, and an extremely hard time finding and obtaining affordable health care for themselves and their families (Rector). Sadly, the only income in these homes is often the result of a single parent working part-time averaging only 16 hours a week, making barely enough to get by (Rector). The adults or parents in these circumstances are more concerned with providing for their families and “making ends meet” than spending time with their children and in turn the children are neglected.
In understanding the dilemma these unfortunate children face in relation to learning and behavior, it helps to be aware of different learning styles. C. Wade and C. Travis, authors of Psychology write about the different learning perspectives in the discipline of psychology. Two theories emphasized in the learning perspective of psychology are behaviorism, and the social-cognitive learning theory. In the behaviorism theory, Behaviorists study how the environment and personal experience affects a person’s actions. They believe that the environment alone can reward or punish an individual, causing them continue or stop certain actions and behaviors (21). An example of behaviorism would be a person becoming more violent when their environment rewards them for it (21). On the other hand, social-cognitive learning theorists study not only behavior, but research on thoughts, values, expectations, and intentions. They believe people adapt to their environments and also do and think as their peers, learning not only from their surroundings but from others, as well. A social-cognitive theorist would view the act of violence in a way that a child exposed to a violent role model would be more likely to act in an aggressive manner than a child with a peaceful role model. In both cases, the environment plays a valuable role in a child’s learning whether a child learns directly from their environment or the people within it.
Wade and Travis further elaborate on the relationship between the environment and intelligence. They explain that children faced with “poor prenatal care, malnutrition, toxins (such as lead paint), and stressful family circumstances” are subject to reduced mental ability based off of IQ scores and their ability to learn (23). Although the environment plays a large role in the effects of learning and behavior, genetics also contribute. However, only about a third of genetics can be related to behavior directly (86).
These children learn most from how their parents deal with stressful situations. In a home where the parents are constantly fighting or arguing, the children learn these behaviors (Baxt). If a young boy, for example, was to see his mother being abused by a man, and his mother stayed in that relationship, he would believe it was okay to put his hands on a woman or that it’s alright to mistreat his mother. However, a child who is raised in a positive, non-abusive environment, where a young boy saw his parents being affectionate with one another, that child may learn how to have a healthy relationship.
Children who are raised in poor neighborhoods are often exposed to violent crimes such as rape and murder. These crimes are committed by members of the community in which these children are raised. They attend sparsely funded public schools and are also influenced by older children in their neighborhood who drop out of school and have children or turn to selling drugs to illegally help their single parents provide for their siblings. A youth raised in such a negative environment may be inclined to partake in such criminal activities simply because they see their peers being rewarded for such actions that others would frown upon.
According to Baxt these children grow up living with depression, post-traumatic stress, and hard social lives. They lead uncomfortable, worried lives as adults and often don’t know how to live their lives “the right way” (Baxt).
Being raised in such a poor neighborhood or environment can not only have a negative effect on a child’s behavior and cognitive development but can also influence a child’s future. Poor children are often exposed to violent crimes, live in unsupportive homes, and attend underfunded public schools. Whether these children learn from the environment they live in directly or from their peers, one thing is for sure; they continue to learn despite their circumstances.
Works cited
Dr. Baxt, Jennifer DMFT, NCC, DCC. “Does poor living conditions affect children”. Complete
Counseling Solutions 2011. Web. 10 Oct. 2011.
Rector, Robert. “How Poor Are America's Poor? Examining the ‘Plague’ of Poverty in America.” The
Heritage foundation 2007. Web. 10 Oct. 2011.
Wade, Carole and Carol Travis. Psychology. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2011. Print.
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