The most common risk factors faced by children
True or false: Can children be at risk before they are born?
True: Children are vulnerable from the moment of conception.
What percent of U.S. children live below the poverty level?
a.) 29%
b.) 21%
c.) 13%
d.) 37%
B - 21%
What is the main element in the behavioral profile that plagues impoverished students?
Aggression
Students experiencing poverty are more likely to experience externalizing behaviors than internalizing behaviors.
False: Students experiencing poverty exhibit increased levels of both internalizing and externalizing behaviors
True or false: A child's response to poverty is related to the amount of time that they spend in poverty
True: A child's response to poverty IS related to the amount of time that they spend in poverty
Name 2 risks a child can face in utero?
1.) A mother's quality of nutrition
2.) A mother's level of stress
3.) A mother's use of drugs/alcohol
The relationship between poverty and academic outcomes is so strong that the percentage of children in a school who live in poverty is the best predictor of a school's level of ____________________.
Reading comprehension
True or false: Poverty has no affect on aggression levels in children
False: Poverty has been found to be a significant predictor of aggression in kindergarten
Name 2 internalizing behaviors a student dealing with poverty may exhibit
1.) Depression
2.) Anxiety
Name at least one poverty-related stress
1.) economic stress
2.) family conflict
3.) violence
4.) family transitions
5.) discrimination
Name 2 risks a child may begin life with
1.) Premature birth
2.) Low birth weight
3.) Challenging temperament
4.) Especially high activity level
5.) Especially low attention level
When compared to other industrialized nations, the rate of childhood poverty in the U.S. falls in what place?
a.) First
b.) Second
c.) Third
d.) Fourth
B - Second to Mexico
True or false: Students who were aggressive entering first grade but who spent that school year in nonaggressive classrooms were more likely to be aggressive in middle school.
False: Students with aggression are less likely to be aggressive in middle school if they spend first grade in a nonaggressive classroom
Name 2 externalizing behaviors a child dealing with poverty may exhibit
1.) Acting out
2.) Disruptive in a classroom setting
True or false: Evidence suggests that poverty-related stress is less predictive of internalizing and externalizing behaviors than is socioeconomic status
False: Evidence suggests that poverty-related stress is more predictive of internalizing and externalizing behaviors than is socioeconomic status
Name 2 environmental risk factors a child may be exposed to
1.) Parents' substance abuse
2.) Parents' level of intelligence
3.) Parents' approach to parenting
4.) Housing instability
5.) Educational instability (i.e., changing schools frequently)
6.) Food insecurity
7.) Violence in the home
What percent of children born into poverty will remain impoverished as adults?
a.) 15-26%
b.) 25-36%
c.) 35-46%
d.) 45-56%
C - 35-46%
Rather than poverty, the best predictor of continued aggression into middle school is the overall level of classroom aggression that a child experiences in the _____________ classroom.
a.) Kindergarten
b.) First grade
c.) Second grade
d.) Third grade
B - First grade
Define persistent poverty
Persistent poverty is defined as poverty evident at two or more times during childhood
Name 2 mental health disorders that poverty-related stress has been listed as a symptom of
1.) Oppositional defiance disorder (ODD)
2.) Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
3.) Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
4.) Major depressive disorder (MDD)
Name 2 societal risk factors a child may be exposed to
1.) Negative peer and community influence
2.) Community violence
3.) Lack of community support
4.) Racism
Name 2 academic implications that low-income children can experience
1.) Impaired reading skills
2.) A compromised vocabulary
3.) Delayed cognitive and language development
4.) Increased risk for high school dropout
Who is the determining factor in classroom aggression AND how can classroom aggression be limited?
The teacher. Classroom aggression can be limited by the the teacher's skills and training in classroom behavior management
Both the level of a mother's education and a child's IQ are predictors of childhood behavior problems, but what is the greatest predictor?
The Mother's mental health problems
Name 2 school-based programs that help students facing poverty
1.) Free and reduced breakfast/lunch
2.) Fee waivers
3.) Free after-school tutoring
4.) Community center/clothing closet/food pantry