Supportive communities can have a positive impact on poor children

By Staff Writer

A new study reveals that low-income and at-risk children are more likely to overcome certain setbacks if their communities are tightly knit.

The study, which appears in the journal Psychological Science, followed poor and middle-income children from childhood into adolescence. When the participants turned 17 years old, the subjects and their mothers filled out surveys about their behavior and how connected their respective communities were.

As the researchers expected, teens from impoverished families were more likely to have a higher body mass index (BMI) than participants in middle-income neighborhoods. However, adolescents who had more social capital, or community cohesiveness, were less likely to smoke cigarettes and become obese than those who did not grow up in supportive neighborhoods.

The study's author concluded that communities with more social capital typically have better role models and mentors for children. Furthermore, these positive individuals are more likely to intervene if a child is developing bad habits, such as tobacco use or an unhealthy diet.

Teens who have addictive personalities may benefit from wilderness therapy programs, many of which contain staff members who strive to be positive role models.