The Effects of Poverty

Poverty is one of the most important issues in world politics. When observing global issues, it seems that almost every thing that we are fighting are a result of poverty or most common in impoverished regions, like terrorist groups, like Al-Qaeda, and child abuse.

Al-Qaeda was able to grow in Afghanistan using poverty to their advantage. Afghanis were desperate to have basic necessities and embraced any group that promised to improve their standard of living. Al-Qaeda promised food and shelter in return for their loyalty. However, when the heads of these families make alliances with Al-Qaeda, they are putting their families’ and friends’ lives at greater risk, but these patriarchs believe that the risk is worth the few benefits that they reap for their family.

Child abuse is also found more frequently in under privileged households. Stress is omnipresent in homes where parents are trying to make ends meet in order to provide for their families. However, the tricky thing about stress its symptoms are difficult to control. When the load of responsibilities begins to become a burden, the slightest incident can trigger a violent reaction. These observations are explained in ESCAPE Family Resource Center’s “Building Confident Families” course, a court-ordered course that families take with their children to learn how to communicate as a family and deal with stress and stressful situations. Child abuse is not only prevalent in Houston, where ESCAPE is located, but in Africa, India, and all over the United States, to name a few countries. Child abuse also tends to be a cyclic habit, meaning that children who have been abused tend to abuse because that’s how they were taught to handle stress.

Unfortunately, there is no sure-fire way to prevent poverty and re-build regions in which poverty is prevalent, but with the help of proactive groups that fight global poverty and related issues, people are becoming more aware of the outcomes of poverty and are joining relief efforts around the world.