Protective Factors That Shield At-Risk Children from Poverty

Introduction: Children at Risk and the Need for Protective Factors

One of the unfortunate consequences of the human condition is that some children will not enjoy the same level of support and resources as their peers because of various socioeconomic and family situational factors. Nevertheless, history has demonstrated time and again that some children are able to overcome whatever adversities life throws at them to emerge as well-adjusted and intelligent members of society, going on to achieve their personal and professional goals irrespective of these challenges. These children, however, appear to be the exception rather than the rule, and it is reasonable to suggest that children who are at risk will suffer from their experiences rather than benefit from them, regardless of how resilient they may be.

To determine those factors that can serve to protect at-risk children from negative outcomes, this paper reviews the relevant peer-reviewed and scholarly literature to collect and evaluate the strongest available evidence concerning the protective factors that support optimal early childhood development. An analysis of how these factors protect against the effects of an unequal start in life, and their implications for later life outcomes, is followed by a summary of the research and its most important findings.

Long-Term Consequences of Childhood Poverty

In their report "The Long-Term Effects of Recession-Induced Child Poverty," First Focus (2009) emphasizes that children who experience poverty are at particularly high risk for a number of adverse academic and health-related outcomes during childhood, as well as poorer health and diminished earning potential later in life. These are especially salient issues as global economic pressures continue to affect the ability of parents and governments to provide desperately needed early childhood development interventions. According to Yarrow (2009), "The economic crisis that began in 2008 and the 2009 federal stimulus package posed roadblocks and opportunities for an ambitious child-policy agenda, given both fiscal constraints and calls for 'investment' in school buildings, teachers, and children's education and health" (p. 27).

Unfortunately, the longer young children spend in impoverished conditions, the more serious the consequences become across a broad range of measures, including higher rates of dropping out of school and an inability to gain meaningful employment later in life (Brooks-Gunn & Duncan, 1997). Research on child poverty and developmental outcomes consistently confirms that the timing and duration of poverty exposure are critical variables in predicting life course trajectories.

Health Outcomes and the Persistence of Poverty's Effects

There is also substantial evidence that the psychological and even biomedical effects of childhood poverty can persist well into adulthood — and in some cases for life — despite changes in an individual's circumstances and level of affluence. Measurement of adult body mass index (BMI), a standard health indicator with a well-accepted narrow range of normalcy, shows that individuals who grew up in impoverished conditions and were likely malnourished as children tend to have higher BMIs than individuals who grew up well fed, even when other factors are controlled (Ziol-Guest et al., 2009).

This pattern is largely due to the eating habits established during poverty. A lack of sufficient food during childhood tends to increase overeating when food becomes available and instills a strong compulsion to avoid food insecurity in adulthood, leading to unhealthy long-term eating habits (Olson et al., 2007). Such habits contribute to health deterioration, which limits productivity and creates greater expenses, thereby assisting in the intergenerational perpetuation of poverty and the likely creation of similar or related problems in the children of affected adults. These health consequences are deeply intertwined with broader social factors of adult life that stem from the experience of childhood poverty.