How do we halt the intergenerational transmission of poverty?

IGT of poverty is a critical aspect that was emphasized in our Social Inclusion Act in 2012!

Sharing recent research on IGT that we can still learn from if we are serious about addressing poverty.

In order to reduce poverty we need to understand what leads to intergenerational poverty. Abigail McKnight reviews new evidence around the mechanisms of poverty transmission between generations and finds that the family stress caused by poverty can impede children’s development and educational attainment, as well as lead to lower self-esteem and aspirations.

The predominant model in people’s minds about how poverty is passed on from parents to offspring includes things like: a) limited family resources to invest in children’s education, b) “work-shy” parents being bad role models for their children, and c) an underlying genetic deficiency of some kind that gets passed down generation after generation.

But McKnight argues that the empirical evidence only supports the claim that a family’s limited resources can negatively impact children’s education. In addition, the research identifies two other mechanisms of poverty transmission that are often absent from public understanding: a) the effect of family stress caused by poverty on children (potentially impacting their cognitive development), and b) the negative impact of poverty on children’s self-esteem and aspirations.

Any future policy aimed at reducing intergenerational poverty will need to consider not just limited family resources, but also the role of family stress on parenting behaviour, and ways to boost the self-esteem of children and young people who experience poverty, by encouraging risk-taking and ambitious future planning.

SEE LINK BELOW TO ACCESS THE FULL PAPER.....

https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/how-do-we-halt-the-intergenerational-transmission-of-poverty/