Growing up in poverty : Influencing factors and consequences for participation in our society

Abstract

"In Germany - like in most other European countries - children and adolescents are still a social group at higher risk of poverty and welfare benefit receipt. Most official statistics as well as a number of research findings rely on cross-sectional data. Using longitudinal data enhances the understanding of poverty trajectories during childhood. In this study, we therefore examine longitudinal determinants of children's poverty patterns in Germany as well as the consequences of these patterns for social participation.<br> We use data of the first nine waves of the German panel study 'Labour Market and Social Security' (PASS), which is an annual household panel survey. We distinguish between five different clusters according to changes in income situation and duration of poverty: 'permanently secured', 'temporarily not secured', 'precarious income situation', 'permanent receipt of welfare benefit receipt', and 'permanently not secured'. The results indicate that maternal employment is one of the main determinants of child poverty, particularly in single parent households. Only if their mother is employed full-time, children of single mothers exhibit a low risk of growing up in permanent or recurring poverty. Maternal part-time employment secures children in couple families, but not in single-parent households. However, if a mother is not working, the risk of growing up in a permanent or recurring poverty pattern is high in both family types: In two-parent families, one third of the children with unemployed mother are affected; among single-parent families, nine out of ten children with unemployed mothers experience permanent or recurring poverty.<br> Examining the consequences of growing up in poverty, we find that experiencing permanent poverty during childhood affects children's participation in social and other organized activities in their youth and as adolescents. Findings furthermore indicate that young people who grew up in permanent poverty have fewer friends and have a weaker sense of belonging to society." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Cite article

Tophoven, S., Lietzmann, T., Reiter, S. & Wenzig, C. (2018): Aufwachsen in Armutslagen. Zentrale Einflussfaktoren und Folgen für die soziale Teilhabe. Güterloh, 110 p. DOI:10.11586/2018017