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Abigayle Sargent

Professor Tyler

English 1201

20 March 2021

What Are The Causes and Effects of poverty?

Cause and effect are a relationship between two events or things. When thinking of

poverty, the question of cause and effect comes into play. What causes poverty? What are the

effects of poverty? Is poverty usually generational or based on other factors? How many people

are considered poor?

Poverty and disability go hand and hand. People with disabilities are twice as likely to be

living in poverty and will most likely face setbacks. Malnutrition, unsafe water, unstable living

conditions and additional stress are common occurrences while facing poverty and being

disabled (Banks). A study was completed whose goal was to link the mannerism’s and

relationship between disability and poverty. Overall, there are many factors that contribute to

poverty but 81% of the studies had a connection between disability and poverty (Banks).

A developmental study examined a group of children that were young. The researchers

made home visits, studied the children’s cognitive stimulation, and paid attention to the level of

care each child received (Sleek). When the children were in middle school the research was

continuing and the researchers found that big amounts of cognitive stimulation at younger ages

improved the children’s development. Another study was completed focusing on the impact that
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poverty has on decision making and behavior. 400 participants of different income levels were

given a made-up car trouble scenario. Some had a $150 bill and some had a $1,500 bill.

Researchers found that low income-based participants were quick to take a high interest loan and

make hasty decisions. These are just some of the examples of how poverty can impact a person’s

decision making (Sleek).

Another idea of how poverty has lasting effects is in education. Data shows that low-

income students are five-times more likely to drop out of high school and thirteen-times more

likely to not graduate on time. Past high school students have low college completion rates. More

than 40 percent of low-income schools do not get a fair share of state and local funds. So not

only are students at a disadvantage at home, they are in the educational system as well (Taylor).

Poverty exposes children to developmental, biological and postnatal risks. Various

factors link poverty-related issues with poor neurocognitive outcomes such as low IQ, delayed

motor development and bad school performance. Financial support, access to healthcare and a

healthy food supply could substantially change the outcome for at-risk kids. Biomarkers are

studied and used to identify poor mental and physical health after early life stress from poverty

related issues (Jensen).

When analyzing the measure and degree of poverty in the United States from 1993-2016

there is an alarming rate of families that are deeply and extremely poor. Deeply poor is less than

20% of median income and extremely poor is less that 10% of median income. Although

children in foster care, people incarcerated and the homeless population is not included in the

data; in 2016 there was still 5.2-7.2 million Americans that were deeply poor and 2.6-3.7 million

Americans extremely poor (Brady).

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Many factors play a roll in poverty. Disabilities, education level, and developmental

delays are major factors. Focusing closely on the causes and effects of poverty will allow the

reader to understand what I am presenting. Within my research one can expect to question if

poverty is a choice or if it is learned, and plan to further obtain further knowledge in this subject

with continued research.

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Works Cited

Banks, Lena Morgon, et al. “Poverty and Disability in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A
Systematic Review.” PLoS ONE, vol. 12, no. 12, 21 Dec. 2017, p. e0189996. Gale In
Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A519847521/OVIC?
u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=6ac0ae45. Accessed 20 Mar. 2021.

Brady, David. “The Levels and Trends in Deep and Extreme Poverty in the United States, 1993–
2016.” eds-a-ebscohost-com.sinclair.ohionet.org/eds/detail/detail?vid=11&sid=54ea660a-
5b0c-4216-ac9d-b3a037eb5a74%40pdc-v-sessmgr03&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU
%3D#AN=147545309&db=bth. Accessed 20 Mar. 2021.

Jensen, Sarah K. “Effects of Poverty on Interacting Biological Systems Underlying Child

Development.” Nov. 2017, www-sciencedirect-
com.sinclair.ohionet.org/science/article/pii/S235246421730024X?via%3Dihub. Accessed
20 Mar. 2021.

Taylor, Kelley. “Poverty's Long-Lasting Effects on Students' Education and Success.” INSIGHT
Into Diversity, 25 July 2019, www.insightintodiversity.com/povertys-long-lasting-effects-
on-students-education-and-success/. Accessed 20 Mar. 2021.

Sleek, Scott. “How Poverty Affects the Brain and Behavior.” Association for Psychological
Science - APS, 31 Aug. 2015, www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/how-poverty-
affects-the-brain-and-behavior. Accessed 20 Mar. 2021.