Poverty patterns during childhood and adolescence : Longitudinal analysis of child poverty

Abstract

"In Germany - like in most European countries - children and adolescents are still a social group at higher risk of poverty and welfare benefit receipt. However, most official statistics as well as a number of research findings depend on crosssectional data. Using longitudinal data enhances the perspective on poverty trajectories during childhood. Against this background, in this study, we examine poverty patterns of children in Germany in a longitudinal perspective as well as their determinants.<br> Therefore, we employ data of the first nine waves of the German panel study 'Labour Market and Social Security' (PASS), which is an annual household panel survey. In order to gain a more precise picture of low-income households, we distinguish between five different household income situations: 'secured income position', 'intermediate income position', 'at risk of poverty', 'receipt of basic social security' and 'at risk of poverty and receipt of basic social security'. In order to identify typical income patterns, we use sequence analysis in combination with cluster analysis. The results show five differing clusters in terms of changing income situations and the duration of poverty. Thereby, the biggest group of children lives in households with a permanently secured income position during their childhood ('permanently secured', 69 %). In addition, four typical patterns are detected that include short or long-term experiences of poverty: 'permanently not secured' (12 %), 'temporarily not secured' (10 %), 'permanent receipt of basic social security' (6 %), 'precarious income situation' (4 %). As determinants of poverty cluster affiliation, we identify household and parental characteristics such as living in a single-parent household, three or more children under the age of 15, a low educational qualification of the parents or a mother being unemployed or working in part-time. In addition, the detected patterns show different extents of material deprivation. For the children in the cluster 'permanently not secured', the highest degree of material deprivation is observed. The material living standard of children growing up in a permanently secured income position is considerably higher in comparison to all four poverty patterns." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Cite article

Tophoven, S., Lietzmann, T., Reiter, S. & Wenzig, C. (2017): Armutsmuster in Kindheit und Jugend. Längsschnittbetrachtungen von Kinderarmut. Gütersloh, 69 p.