Psychological Effects of Poverty on Children in Elementary Schools
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Psychological Effects of Poverty on Children in Elementary Schools
Poverty is the situation where the family is unable to meet the basic needs for children such as clothing, enough food and a decent shelter. Such children enroll in low quality elementary schools and therefore exposed to fewer experiences in term of learning (Brooks-Gunn and Furstenberg 290). The effect is noted more in terms of achievement and ability of such children than it is emotionally. Children living below the poverty line during pre-school are less likely to complete school than those in economically stable families (Brooks-Gunn and Furstenberg 275).
Young single parents who are not learned and have little learning potential bring up most poor families. Therefore, the children lack exposure on these basic attributes, which account on the child’s way of reasoning. The children tend to have low learning abilities and delays in psychological development (Brooks-Gunn and Furstenberg 770).
Poor children are also exposed to problems related to emotions and behavior more frequently than children brought up in non-poor families are. They tend to be more aggressive and physically fight others because they are irritable. They suffer anxiety and withdraw socially, a situation that can easily lead to depression (Rutter 935).
Concerning health and nutrition, which are major determinant factors on child’s psychological developments, children from poor background tend to have low cognitive ability. Most children born in poor families are born with low birth weights and increased levels of lead metal in their blood. These conditions affect intelligent quotients of such children. The children have low rates of learning and inability to retain contents, which can lead to early school dropouts for children in elementary schools (Rutter 940). The paper supports the conclusion that poverty has great effect on the psychological welbeing of the children in elementary schools who have been subjected to prolonged poor livestyle when all other factors are held equal with other children brought up in a bacground with average or high income.