Youth at Risk, Social Exclusion, and Intergenerational Poverty Dynamics: A New Survey Instrument with Application to Brazil

Abstract

This paper addresses the underlying causes of problems and risks faced by poor and excluded people, focusing on youth of 10-24 years of age. We develop a survey instrument that addresses poverty in broad sense including hunger, early pregnancy and fatherhood, violence, crime, drug use, low levels of social capital, and low educational attainment. The paper also sheds light on intergenerational transfer of risks that are considered to induce poverty, e.g. in early pregnancy and education attainment. We document simple findings based on the survey data gathered in three poor urban neighborhoods in Fortaleza in the Northeast Brazil. Our main findings show that: (i) poor youth are at considerable risk of growing up without their father-only 7 percent grow up with their father present in the household; (ii) the intergenerational transmission of low education attainment is at play, but it is diminishing; (iii) the risk of early pregnancy and fatherhood is large; 31 percent of the youth had their first child before age 16, triple that of the adult population; (iv) the risk of sexual abuse and violence within the household exists-6 percent of the youth answered that they had their first sexual relationship with a family member and 13 percent grow up in household with violence; (v) the social capital levels are low-only five percent of the youth and 9 percent of the adults have measurable social capital; and (vi) the risk of growing up in a violent neighborhood is large-59 percent of the youth claim that they live in a violent neighborhood, 80 percent feel unsafe in their neighborhood and 50 percent feel unsafe at home. 1 The authors would like to thank Josbertini Clementino, Egidio Guerra, Virginia Martins, and the members of MH2OCE and IPOC for their invaluable contribution to this project. We would also like to thank the people in the neighborhoods who helped elaborate this survey instrument which helps us to better understand the issues faced by youth and adults in poor urban neighborhoods.

Developmental risks and psychosocial adjustment among low-income Brazilian youth

“…The find-ings are consistent with other studies conducted in Brazil. As described earlier, a similar study conducted in Northeastern Brazil (Verner & Alda, 2004) revealed high levels o f father absence, low parental education, and neighborhood violence. Another study conducted in southern Brazil with low-income 7-to 9-year-olds and their mothers (Hoppe, 1998) Raffaelli et al, 2000 US findings (e.g., Clark & Miller, 1998 (Fergusson & Horwood, 2003).…”

“…Considerable research has been conducted with children and adolescents found in street settings (i.e., "street youth"; see Raffaelli, 1999;Raffaelli & Larson, 1999;Rizzini, 1996), but less attention has been paid to the far larger population of impoverished youth (Rizzini, Barker, & Cassaniga, 2002). Recently, Verner and Alda (2004) described findings from a large-scale study of 10-to 24-year-olds from low-income urban neighborhoods in the northeastern Brazilian city of Fortaleza. Respondents were at considerable risk for father absence (93%) and low parental education (e.g., 76% of mothers had not completed primary school); respondents also reported high rates of early parenthood (31% became parents by age 16), familial sexual or physical abuse (6% had their first sexual relationship with a family member, and 13% reported violence in their home), and neighborhood violence (85% of youth felt unsafe in their neighborhood).…”

Substance use and sexual risk among at-risk adolescents in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

“…10,12 in order to identify items that could be translated directly for use in the local context. A list of 25 potential survey items was generated.…”

“…alcohol, ecstasy or methamphetamines) among at-risk adolescents in Brazil has been linked to exposure to violence, crime, neglect, low-socio-economic status and homelessness 10,11,12 . Additionally, adolescents who are exposed to violence at home or in their neighborhood, or who are from low socio-economic backgrounds have also been shown to be more likely to engage in sexual risk taking 12,13,14 . Furthermore, a lack of condom use and other sexual risk behaviors, such as prostitution or exchange sex, have been associated with abandonment and homelessness 11 .…”

The quality of material care provided by grandparents for their orphaned grandchildren in the context of HIV/AIDS and poverty: a study of Kopanong municipality, Free State

“…It is argued that orphans' educational opportunities are reduced as they are withdrawn from school in order to reduce the household's expenditure, care for the sick or to do odd jobs to earn extra income (Booysen & Arntz, 2002;Grant & Palmiere, 2003;Hosegood, Preston-White, Busza, Moitse & Timaeus, 2007;Verner & Alda, 2004;Case, Paxson & Ableidinger 2004).…”