How children’s development is impacted by external factors like poverty, violence, bad housing , family breakdown
To understand how a child’s development may be impacted by factors such as poverty, violence, bad housing and family breakdown, we must first understand how children develop. On its website, the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) states that child development is the, ‘physical, cognitive, emotional and social growth that occurs throughout a child’s and young person’s life.’
Physical development involves the gross and fine motor skills, for example, learning to walk then run (gross), and picking up small items and writing (fine). Children also develop cognitively, going from recognising and responding to people, through playing make-believe games where roles are assigned, to thinking logically and contemplating moral, philosophical and political concepts. Emotional milestones see the child moving through stages of believing themselves to be the centre of the universe to exhibiting extremes of emotions from aggression and calm, to learning to develop a sense of their identity that is separate from their caregivers.
Finally, social development is concerned with learning to share, as well as demonstrating empathy, forming friendships and having a clear understanding of right and wrong. Healthy child development is facilitated by among other things, secure and loving parenting, growing up in a safe home environment and having a healthy diet.
It’s important to remember as well that no two children are identical and individuals will reach these different milestones at different times in the years leading up to adolescence. There will, for example, be children whose physical development may be delayed to the point where interventions are required. Internal factors can impact a child’s development, but their progress through childhood can be hampered by external factors. Here are some events that interrupt development.
1. Violence
- Violence includes physical, sexual (including sexual exploitation) and emotional abuse, domestic violence, and neglect
- Children who witness domestic violence may find it difficult to form attachments and relationships, and their education will be impacted
- Child victims of sexual abuse develop low self-esteem, become secretive, withdraw from family and friends and experience sleep disturbance
2. Poverty
- Poverty can cause children to feel inferior to their peers. Something as basic as school uniform can induce feelings of shame in children if their parents have been forced to purchase it second hand.
- Opportunities to feel part of a group can be affected if parents are unable to give their children the things – toys, devices and enrichment experiences – that the children of better off parents enjoy. Lack of access to educational resources at an early age will dramatically affect a child’s learning. And as the child struggles to keep up in class, their self-esteem takes a serious knock that is difficult to recover from as the child moves through school
- Children who receive free school meals are acutely aware of their circumstances, and for some, the feeling of shame can follow them through their school career and beyond, impacting their life chances, earning abilities, health and where they live
3. The housing emergency
It may be safe to say that the housing situation has never been so bad: landlords are charging extortionate rents, sometimes for substandard accommodation, and the ‘no-fault’ eviction policy means that tenants are afraid to complain because if they do, they can be turfed out of their homes with very little notice.
Women fleeing domestic violence can find themselves sharing a room with their children in bed and breakfasts, often in the same building as predatory men, drug addicts or alcoholics. The break up of families can lead to stress and depression, which in the long run affects a child’s emotional development and their ability to form connections with people in their adult life.
The death in 2020 of Awaab Ishak from a respiratory condition after his parents’ pleas to be moved from their mould-ridden flat highlighted the detrimental effects of living in poor quality housing. In her 2013 speech, Baroness Eaton told the House of Lords that children in overcrowded housing were:
- ten times more likely to contract meningitis than children generally
- more likely to experience asthma and wheezing and
- more susceptible to heart disease in adulthood
Insecure housing creates a situation where families are constantly having to move with their children. Constantly moving home and going from one school to another negatively affects a child’s cognitive skills and their educational attainment. Children who experience housing instability are more likely to display hyperactive and aggressive behaviour.
NOPA’s work involves identifying socio-economic, social and personal challenges and putting in place interventions that support the child to get back on track with their development. Our therapeutic interventions have helped prevent bullying and build self-confidence and many of the children we work with see improvements in their schoolwork. In addition to the performing arts work we do, we recognise the challenges facing young people as they prepare to transition from primary to secondary school. We have developed a mentoring programme that helps them through that difficult, often challenging settling in period.
NOPA is committed to improving the life chances of all children and we understand that the condition of a child’s home, their parents’ personal and emotional circumstances, and whether their material and nutritional needs are met are factors that can affect them well into the future. Because we know this, we have made it our business to work in partnership with organisations such as the Brixton and Norwood Foodbank and Impact on Urban Health, an organisation that seeks to remove obstacles to good health by making urban areas healthier places to live. Taking a holistic approach allows us to provide the support children need to flourish.