Introduction of the problem
Community when you think about it,
is a very important thing and it can really have a huge effect on people’s
lives believe it or not. Depending on the circumstances it can turn someone
into something you wouldn’t have expected before you even know it. One thing
that has a huge effect on community is poverty. Poverty in a community is one
of the most common reasons why some people end up like the way they do because
they are brought up around nothing but poor structured households and they don’t
really have anything or anyone to guide them and teach them the right from
wrong. Children
that are raised or brought up around communities that are dealing with poverty
issues tend to get in more trouble and commit crimes then children that are
raised in a stable community. “In early childhood, it is
estimated that approximately one in four children in the US (National Center
for Children in Poverty 2014) and one in two children worldwide live in poverty
(globalissues.org 2013). Studies indicate that young children living in
economically disadvantaged environments often begin school with fewer basic
academic and social–emotional skills (Bernier et al. 2010; Magnuson et al.
2004; Thornberry et al. 2009). Additionally, socioeconomic (SES) factors, such
as family income, parental level of education, and parental occupation, have
been shown to impact language, cognitive, and social– emotional development in
children (Kagan et al. 1978; Raver 2004; Roberts et al. 1999; Zubrick et al.
2007). Economic, environmental, and family stressors can result in later
achievement deficits that begin in early childhood and compound through the
years (Evans and Rosenbaum 2008; Howse et al. 2003; McClelland et al. 2000;
SohrPreston and Scaramella 2006)”( Examining Effects of
Poverty, Maternal Depression, and Children’s Self-Regulation Abilities on the
Development of Language and Cognition in Early Childhood: An Early Head Start
Perspective). “As children mature and develop, the quality and quantity of the
language they are exposed to strongly influences their cognitive development
(Thomas 2005). As a child’s use of language advances, speech plays an integral
role in guiding a child’s activities, as well as their behavior (Vygotsky
1934/2012, 1934/1978). Vygotsky emphasized the importance of adult–child
interactions for the interrelated development of emotional connections,
language, and the facilitation of children’s engagement in symbolic activities and
creative play (Thomas 2005)” (Examining Effects of Poverty, Maternal
Depression, and Children’s Self-Regulation Abilities on the Development of
Language and Cognition in Early Childhood: An Early Head Start Perspective)
Exploration of others position
Although
poverty plays a big role in communities and how they affect a child’s life some
people think that maybe it isn’t the poverty that makes the children turn out
bad. There are many different views and opinions on what makes children act the
way they do. It could be because of the things they experienced in the
household like rape or abuse that they didn’t speak up about and now it’s
having a negative effect on their lives, it could even be because that’s just
how they want to be. I remember seeing a video about this thirteen year old kid
that always skipped school with his friends and he also stole his grandmother car
and drove it around the city and later on ended up crashing it. The grandmother
was so shocked by the little boy’s actions because she wasn’t raising him to
steal from people and she was always on his behind about doing well and school
and making good grades. So she couldn’t figure out why he would be doing these
types of things, but when they interviewed the little boy he told the reporter
that he “just wanted to do hood rat things with his friends”. So growing up in
a bad household isn’t necessarily the only reason that would effect a child’s
life when it comes to them having bad behaviors or acting out in bad ways. If people
take the time out to actually listen to children and actually pay attention to
them then there would be an actual understanding on why children do what they
do. For example, my little cousins are bad as heck and they don’t listen to their
mother at all but when I come around them they are smiling and want to play
around and I think that is because when I’m with them I sit down with them and
play the game and play around with them and they just have a good time with me
in general. So it’s more of an understanding them aspect rather than them being
bad because they are in a troubling home, which is not the case with them at
all.
Exploration of writer’s position
Where
I stand is that even though poverty in the community is not always the case it
seems to be one of the main reasons. Even though poverty effects the whole community
you don’t see too many girls acting out or doing outrages things. You tend to
see more of the outrageous behavior in boys, study say that boys that are in
troubling communities tend to have worst behaviors then boys in a stable
community. This is because when they go outside all they have around them are a
bunch of bad influences so they just suck in all of the bad influences and it
effects them tremendously.
Conclusion
There are a couple of reasons why I think
boys tend to end up worst then girls do. One is because girls don’t go outside
as much as boys do so they aren’t influenced by the things that are going on
outside like the guys on the corner etc. second is because in most communities
with poverty they are single parent homes and most of the time it’s the mother
who has to take care of the children so the boys don’t really have that father figure
in their life to let them know they the stuff they are doing isn’t the right
thing to be doing. And telling them that they shouldn’t want to be a follower
they should want to be a leader in life. So I feel like if the fathers would be
more in their son’s life to teach them right from wrong they wouldn’t turn out
the way they do.
