The Effects of Poverty on the Lives of Children Essay -- Papers Britai

The Effects of Poverty on the Lives of Children Child poverty is common in the United Kingdom, 21% of all children were classified as poor in 1995. One child in three spends at least one year in poverty over his or her lifetime, and for more than 5% of children, poverty lasts 10 years or more. Most poor children are subject to a number of risk factors in addition to low family income; nonetheless, research shows that poverty has selective, but in some cases quite substantial, effects on child and adolescent well-being. Poor children not only experience material deprivation but also are more likely than non poor children to experience a number of undesirable outcomes including poor health and death, failure in school, out of wedlock births, and violent crime. Child poverty can be reduced by a combination of policies, versions of which are currently in place in the United Kingdom, to help families earn more and supplement earned income with other sources of cash (such as Child Tax Credits and Working Tax Credits). In addition, the effects of poverty can be reduced by programs that provide benefits in the form of goods and services (such as food, housing, and health care) which are vital to children's well-being. Despite the frequently voiced sentiment that few programs work, the United Kingdom has a number of effective programs in place that address the needs of poor children and reduce their numbers, although more can be done. To gather public support, however, interventions to improve conditions for poor children should be consistent with public values that hold society responsible for (a) meeting basic human needs for thos... ...n. Food, shelter, health care, and other necessities are crucial for children's well-being, and extra income can make life more enjoyable. The important question about which there is debate is whether the things that extra money, above a subsistence level of income, would buy make a big difference in child outcomes. The answer to this question is a qualified ?yes.? The qualification reflects the facts that income seems to have a larger, more consistent independent effect on some outcomes (such as school achievement in the early grades) than others (such as teenage childbearing) and that the timing and persistence of poverty are important factors in the size of its impact. These issues are explored further in the ensuing discussion of policies for poor children, which includes recommendations for specific interventions.