Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
There are many things in the lives of Mexican American adolescents that effect their
development as members of society, as students, and the person they will become in adulthood.
Poverty is among the most common adversities that adolescents face and is especially prevalent
in Mexican American families. According to the NCCP (National Center for Children in
Poverty) in 2014, about 15 million children in the United States – 21% of all children – live in
families with incomes lower than the federal poverty threshold (about $25,000 per year).
However, their research shows that families need an income of about double that amount to
cover basic expenses. Based on those findings about 43% of children live in low income
how poverty affects them, I was able to find research related to how poverty affects all
adolescents. Through my research, I plan to explore the many ways in which poverty and low
discussing several aspects of the lives of adolescents that are affected by poverty; among which
are emotional development, social development, physical health, education, and sexual activity. I
will then present a strategy for addressing the issue and bringing about needed change in this
area.
Mexican American adolescents that come from low-income families are more likely to
struggle with emotional health problems than their more affluent peers. They can often suffer
from “depression, low self-esteem and a sense of powerlessness when compared to their peers
from higher-income households.” (Hinders, n.d.). A great deal of stress can be caused by
3
POVERTY’S EFFECT ON M.A. ADOLESCENTS
financial pressures that come with living in low socioeconomic conditions. Stress can lead young
adults to experience feelings of aggression, isolation, deviance, and embarrassment among peers.
These emotional responses to poverty lead to issues in social development as well as educational
progress.
Family income has a large impact on the quality of the neighborhoods and schools that
children and adolescents will spend their time. Research done by Jose Escarce for Health
Services Research shows that “high-poverty neighborhoods have lower availability of high-
quality public and private services such as parks, child care centers and preschools, community
centers, and health care providers, as well as fewer social supports and less effective social
networks” (Escarce, 2003). The same study also found a correlation between high-poverty
neighborhoods and high crime rates, street violence, and availability of illegal drugs. These
characteristics can have negative consequences for adolescents in their cognitive skills,
Teenagers raised in poverty often have difficulty socializing because their parents may
need to move often to find housing. This disrupts social interactions of teens with peers both in
school as well is in the community (Hinders, n.d.). Teens also may feel uncomfortable or
embarrassed when spending time with others because they can’t attend certain social events
because of a lack of money (Moore, 2013). Though they may seem trivial, these issues can lead
Nutrition and health are very necessary for physical and mental development during
teenage years. Adolescents who live in poverty often don’t have access to nutritious foods,
adequate healthcare or parental monitoring of eating habits (Moore, 2013). Access to health care
4
POVERTY’S EFFECT ON M.A. ADOLESCENTS
through health insurance is a major factor in an adolescent’s health. “The association between
low income, on one hand, and reduced access to health care and worse health, on the other,
represents just one manifestation of the effect of socioeconomic status on the life chances of
Adolescents are constantly adapting to stress, the amount of work the body goes through
to adapt to that stress is referred to as “Allostatic load”. The higher the load, the bigger the
impact on an individual’s overall health. Natalie Troxel and Paul Hastings of the Center for
Poverty Research at the University of California, Davis, did a study on the affect the Allostatic
load can have on an adolescent. Regarding how poverty affected the load, they stated “Youths
raised in neighborhoods with lower median incomes and higher unemployment and poverty rates
showed higher degrees of allostatic load in adulthood.” (Troxel and Hastings, n.d.). Their study
shows not only the impact that high-poverty lives have on the health of adolescents, but that it
socioeconomic status. Staying in school and the quality of education that adolescents receive are
two of the educational factors most effected by poverty. Many Mexican American adolescents,
especially older males, feel forced to drop out of school to help contribute to the household by
working or looking after younger siblings. (Moore, 2013). Chronic stress associated with poverty
can make it difficult for teens to excel in school because it may impair attention and
concentration. (Hinders, n.d.). Lack of success in academics or spending time with peers who are
dropouts can influence Mexican American students who don’t have academic support at home,
usually because parents are absent during important at home school oriented hours.
5
POVERTY’S EFFECT ON M.A. ADOLESCENTS
The quality of education provided is influenced by the level of poverty in which students
live. “Due to residential stratification and segregation, low-income students usually attend
schools with lower funding levels, which result in reduced availability of textbooks and other
instructional materials, laboratory equipment, library books, and other educational resources.”
(Escarce, 2003). Students in these conditions have reduced achievement and motivation and a
much higher chance of educational failure. These characteristics in schools combined with low
The age at which adolescents begin to engage in sexual activity, as well as the level of
safety at which they practice sex are negatively affected in high-poverty families. In an article
published by Iowa State University, a report was made about research done in 1999 that found
that in low-income families, adolescents reported having their first sexual experience at the
average age of 12. Recent national research has found that 13 percent of girls and 15 percent of
boys have had sex by the time they are 16. (Leonard, 2009). It was determined that when
mothers that hold better paying jobs are less likely to be in stressful circumstances. This will
provide a mental state that will allow them to sit down and speak to their children about waiting
Poverty is also strongly related to teenage pregnancy. “In the United States, the states
with the highest percentage of teens living in poverty also have the highest proportion of births to
unwed teen mothers.” (Hinders, n.d.). Being a teenage mother makes it difficult to break the
cycle of poverty by giving their child a better life. The high level of pregnancy can be related to
the lack of education about safe-sex which is also correlated with little to no parental monitoring
during after school hours. A study performed by Romer, Stanton, and Galbraith found that
“children who reported high levels of parental monitoring were less likely to report initiating sex
6
POVERTY’S EFFECT ON M.A. ADOLESCENTS
in preadolescence (aged ≤10 years) and reported lower rates of sexual initiation as they aged.”
They also concluded that “communication was also positively related to the initiation of condom
use and consistent condom use.” (Romer, Stanton, and Galbraith, 1999). Education about safe
sex lowers the riskiness involved with sex in adolescents and helps lower teen pregnancy rates
and the spread of STD’s. Adolescents who live in impoverished homes sometimes don’t receive
that important education and are more likely to engage in risky sex.
Creating a program that will solve poverty is a task too large for any one person to take
on. However, many of these issues that I presented above arise because of a lack of support at
home after school because of the working situations of parents and guardians. They aren’t
permitted time to spend with their children after school working on homework as well as
providing adequate supervision. In order to combat some of these issues faced by Mexican
Americans that come from low-income households, I propose a plan to create an after-school
This plan first and foremost would require willing and able teachers, administrators or
other willing and responsible adults to volunteer their time once or twice a week on a schedule to
permit for this program to take place after every school day. The program would take place, as
stated, after school for 2-3 hours to fill the time between when school ends and when parents get
home from work. The program could take place in the school lunch room or auditorium to allow
A portion of the time, preferably the first part, would be dedicated to tutoring, help with
homework, and other things dedicated towards the education of everyone that participates. The
7
POVERTY’S EFFECT ON M.A. ADOLESCENTS
second portion of time would be dedicated to an activity or event that the participants can enjoy
such as organized games of soccer, video games, or just hanging out with friends under the
supervision of the responsible adults who are present. Snacks and drinks could be provided as
Help from school officials and staff such as vice principals and ESL teachers would be
necessary to help promote this program among Mexican-American adolescents throughout the
school. Making parents aware of this program via email or a scheduled phone call from the
school might help them encourage their teens to participate in the program. Funding for the
snacks or any necessary materials could come from a federal grant known as the AmeriCorps
grant which provides funding for afterschool programs. There are other federally funded
resources for after school programs as well that can help with any expenses that arise from the
Being an education major, I have spent time in classrooms for many of my courses. This
semester I had the opportunity to speak with Shasta Burton, an ESL teacher, about the issues I
discussed earlier that her low-Socioeconomic students might experience and what a program like
this would look like and if it would be beneficial. She said, “I think it would definitely help.
Students would have that extra resource for education as well as the necessary supervision after
school.” I then asked what sort of opposition that a program like this might face.
Her response was this, “I would hope that there is no opposition to this proposed plan by
anyone. The only possible resistance I could imagine would be to find enough teachers or
administrators willing to volunteer their time to help with this program once or twice a week
with no compensation.” This problem, I believe, could be addressed at the level of the school
8
POVERTY’S EFFECT ON M.A. ADOLESCENTS
district. Teachers are often compensated for their time spent working with sports organizations,
clubs, drivers ed. and other activities. If teachers need compensation, I believe they could work
As demonstrated by the research I have conducted, poverty can affects many aspects of a
Mexican American adolescent’s development in areas such as emotional and social development,
educational achievement, physical health, and sexual habits. Poverty is an issue that needs to be
addressed to better the lives and futures of the adolescents in our communities. My hope is that if
my proposed plan were to be put in effect, it could help promote good educational habits
amongst the adolescents as well as provide them with adequate after school supervision to
prevent some of the issues that they face. As a future educator, my goal is to be more aware of
the adolescents who may be at risk because of their socioeconomic status as well as the many
other adversities that teens face today and continue educating myself on the best methods to help
them succeed.
9
POVERTY’S EFFECT ON M.A. ADOLESCENTS
References
Afterschool Alliance. Federal Funding For After School: A Valuable Resource to Tap
http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/fundingFederalAtAGlance.cfm
Escarce, J. J. (2003, October). Socioeconomic Status and the Fates of Adolescents. National
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1360943/
Hinders, D. (n.d.) How Does Poverty Affect a Teen's Lifestyle? How to Adult. Retrieved from
https://howtoadult.com/poverty-affect-teens-lifestyle-7977.html
Interview with ESL teacher, Shasta Burton, Copper Hills High School. (Conducted by Levi
Hawes)
Leonard, F. (2009, August 17) Poverty Linked to Early Sexual Activity in Kids. Futurity.
Retrieved from
http://www.futurity.org/sex-starts-early-for-low-income-youth/
Moore, A. (2013, August 29). How Does Poverty Affect a Teen's Lifestyle? Livestrong.com
Retrieved from
https://www.livestrong.com/article/1007306-poverty-affect-teens-lifestyle/
http://www.nccp.org/topics/childpoverty.html
10
POVERTY’S EFFECT ON M.A. ADOLESCENTS
Romer, D., Stanton, B., and Galbraith; et al. (1999, October) Parental Influence on Adolescent
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/347936
Troxel, N. and Hastings, P. (n.d.) Poverty during Childhood and Adolescence May Predict
https://poverty.ucdavis.edu/policy-brief/poverty-during-childhood-and-adolescence-may-
predict-long-term-health
11
POVERTY’S EFFECT ON M.A. ADOLESCENTS