Week 4 Consequences of Stress (Poverty) on Children's Development

Consequences of Stress (Poverty) on Children’s Development:

 

 

I have worked with a family and the mother stated as a child she was embarrassed to attend school because her parents could not afford clothes for her. She stated she was only 5 years of age. She stated that really affected her self-esteem and she can vividly remember it as it was yesterday. She stated that affected her in a way that she will never forget.  The ramification was that she state she goes out of her way to make sure her children never have to encounter this. This did affect her in a positive and negative way. She really strives to make sure her children are never without the necessities of life. She stated that she coped with this by imaging that she was rich and trying to look like the other students that were around her. She stated this was difficult, but this was the only method that she had to cope; due to the fact she knew she had to attend school.

 

Regions where others are experiencing stressors:

Throughout South Africa about 66% of children are living in extreme poverty. The

households in which these children live are often too poor to afford to buy even the most

basic necessities. Poverty has been one of South Africa’s greatest challenges and is a

cycle that can’t seem to be broken as generations after generation remain in poverty once

at that point.



The poverty rate in South Africa is the highest among children from newborns to 4 years

old and gets slightly lower in percentage as the age of the children get older. Those aged

15 to 17 years old have the lowest poverty level in their families, perhaps because these

older children are able to contribute more to the family through working than the

youngest children would be capable of doing.



In South Africa, poverty means more than just a lack of money. The poverty that these

children live in affects their access to schools, health care, and their chance of growing up

in an environment that could help them possibly break free of the poverty. Most of the

children in South Africa who are living in poverty are malnourished from birth. This lack

of nutritious food affects the physical and mental growth and development of the

children, as well as their overall health. A lack of access to clean water and adequate

sanitation methods also leads to health problems amongst this group. Diseases are spread

quickly and easily when they are caught, especially amongst children in South Africa.



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