Exploring the relationship between poverty, childhood adversity and child abuse from the perspective of adulthood

Abstract

A recent Australian study of people experiencing poverty, involving in‐depth interviews with 20 participants, suggests that a complex process leading to poverty in adult life can stem from abusive and adverse experiences in childhood. It is considered that these experiences of abuse and adversity may begin a process of ‘negative chain effects’ (Rutter, 2000) resulting in a pathway into poverty caused by ‘accumulated adversity’ (Seth‐Purdie, 2000). The development and maintenance of human capital, defined as the sum of a person's physical, psychological and economic capabilities, are strongly influenced by the extent of adversity experienced over a person's life course, particularly experiences of adversity in early childhood (Seth‐Purdie, 2000). In this paper, the experiences of childhood abuse and adversity reported by the interviewees will be outlined and discussed in the light of theory and research related to development during childhood and adolescence. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Living on an island: consequences of childhood abuse, attachment disruption and adversity in later life

“…This paper explores the experiences of a group of people who had been subject to abuse and adversity in childhood and adolescence with a particular focus on their personal and social relationships in later life. It reports on part of a larger study, which sought to obtain greater understanding of the life circumstances of people who have found it necessary to receive charitable support in the form of emergency relief (Frederick 2004; Frederick & Goddard 2006, 2007). Emergency relief is assistance provided by welfare and other community agencies to people in a crisis situation, in the form of food vouchers or food parcels, cash, help with gas and electricity bills, household goods or clothing (Australian Council of Social Service 2003).…”

‘It’s been really, really hard’: a qualitative study of the health problems of people receiving emergency relief in Australia

“…The experiences of abuse and neglect reported by the interviewees led to extensive personal, social and health‐related problems, together with poverty, in their adult lives (Frederick 2004, Frederick & Goddard 2006, 2007, 2008a,b).…”

South African Child and Family Welfare Services: Changing Times or Business as Usual?

“…If Lesufi's (2002) view is accepted that millions of people have trickled down into poverty in South Africa, this naturally suggests that the caseloads of social workers, especially at child and family welfare organisations, would have increased following the greater demand for services. The literature indicates a strong correlation between poverty, unemployment and child neglect (Connell, Bergeron, Katz, Saunders & Tebes, 2007;Frederick & Goddard, 2007). Social workers in the Western Cape Metropolitan area and surroundings in South Africa also indicated poverty to be one of the most important risk factors for child abuse and neglect and the consequent statutory interventions (Strydom, 2010).…”

“…Poverty, unemployment and the incidence of substance abuse increase the caseloads of child and family welfare organisations as the rise of these macro-level needs is associated with child neglect and abuse in families (Frederick & Goddard, 2007). Child abuse and especially child neglect correlate strongly with the occurrence of the abovementioned structural obstacles in communities (poverty, unemployment, low educational levels) and in society, which are not caused by individuals themselves.…”