Generational poverty is a cycle that quietly shuts down opportunities for families while generational wealth opens doors for them. Society celebrates nepotism in the entertainment industry and legacy admissions in college, which shows the opposite reality that inherited barriers keeps families trapped generations to come. Generational poverty deals with low-income schools, crime rates, and poor housing. Kids raised in poverty attend schools with unqualified teachers, less resources, and limited extracurriculars. Houses get passed down by generation, but they reside in under resourced neighborhoods and are unable to move. In addition, populations with criminal records keep them trapped in poverty. It is evident to say that generational poverty traps families and it is harder for them to move to a higher social class. In a time where society celebrates generational wealth, we should acknowledge how generational poverty is just as real and should not be ignored.
For starters, children who grew up in poverty can develop chronic stress during childhood and adolescence. According to the article “Disturbing Links Between Poverty, Chronic Stress, and Educational Inequality,” Harms states “if stress is prolonged and severe, both daily cortisol production and cortisol responses to an acute stressor may be disrupted, and these disruptions are associated with health, cognitive, and behavioral problems.” This imbalance can impair basic learning mechanisms in school. Most families cannot afford to give their children extra educational help if needed. Privette-Black states in the article “Intergenerational Poverty in the United States,” that “Without having a mentor or the special attention given to a student in need before he or she is 8 or 9 years old, the student is not likely to stay in school, with many students feeling as though the school system failed them.” 1 in 10 students from low income families drop out of high school, but only 1-100 students from high income families do the same (Privette-Black). This does not help when underfunded schools have underqualified teachers which tend to experience high levels of stress, which can negatively affect students. In addition, schools in dangerous cities, students worry about their safety about gun violence which can cause anticipatory trauma resulting in chronic stress (Harms). With children being trapped in their neighborhoods it is impossible for them to move districts to get a better education.
In the 1930s, The Federal Home Administration divided white people and minorities to live in less infrastructure and low equity, which increased the wealth gap (Privette-Black). This was called redlining and discriminatory gentrification, but even though redlining was banned in 1683, it still impacts minorities today. “It is evident that minority children who grow up in previously redlined areas are at a significant disadvantage, since the majority of these areas are still classified as low-income areas,” (Privette-Black). Today, companies are adding infrastructure or new higher quality buildings to communities, leading to their houses to be torn down. Privette-Black explains that children who grow up in previous redlined communities are a disadvantage, since these areas are still classified as low-income areas. This lack of inherited wealth leads to less access to resources, keeps families from relocating, and forces families to raise their children in these poor circumstances.
Lastly, people think in poor cities crime rates are high, but this is a misconception today. If poverty causes more crime, then every poor population would have the same crime rates, but this is not true. In the article “Does Poverty Cause Crime- Or Does Crime Cause Poverty” the writer Scott Beyer makes an example that Asian immigrants escaped economic hardship and often were left poor and in theory they should have produced higher crimes, but the opposite happened. “Asian Americans often have lower incarceration and violent crime rates than the national average, while achieving higher levels of educational attainment and upward mobility” (Beyer). With this information we can conclude that poverty does not cause crime, but crime causes poverty. When someone has a criminal record, it is less likely for them to find a job, qualify for housing, and maintain a family. According to the article, more than 70 million Americans has a form of criminal record, and a misdemeanor conviction can reduce earning by sixteen percent (Beyer). For example, after someone has spent a short sentence, they may struggle for over a decade to maintain a stable income. Their annual earnings would be reduced by $10,000 compared to a clean record peer. Adding court costs and probation fees, the financial damage comes into the light (Beyer).
While society supports generational wealth, generational poverty quietly traps families and restricts opportunities for generations to come. Poor housing and underprivileged school’s causes stress on children which prolongs their ability to learn. Without any support from families and children, students face higher dropout rates. Furthermore, redlining continues to affect families today to build a stable home equity, forcing them to stay in underprivileged neighborhoods, passing down zero assets. The current economic state sets burdens on people who have a criminal records. Which restricts them from affording housing, employment opportunities, and maintains a stable family. Overall addressing econmic and systemic barries is key to breaking the cycle of generational poverty. Acknowledgeing how these forces work enables society to expand opportunities for every famiy.
Beyer, Scott, and Scott Beyer. “Does Poverty Cause Crime — or Does Crime Cause Poverty?” Independent Institute, 18 May 2026, www.independent.org/article/2026/05/18/does-poverty-cause-crime-or-does-crime-cause-poverty.
Harms, Madeline B., and Sherona D. Garrett-Ruffin. “Disrupting Links Between Poverty, Chronic Stress, and Educational Inequality.” Npj Science of Learning, vol. 8, no. 1, Nov. 2023, p. 50. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-023-00199-2.
Privette-Black, Monica. “Intergenerational Poverty in the United States - Ballard Brief.” Ballard Brief, 20 Nov. 2025, ballardbrief.byu.edu/issue-briefs/intergenerational-poverty-in-the-us-83scy.
I chose this topic because I felt no one sheds light on this issue enough like they do with generational wealth. Communites are queitly struggling because the government is actively hurting them and no one wants to help. I think it is important to know the poor did not choose their life, they were most likely born into it as a child and could not escape. I hope this article can enducate readers on this important issue.
Hello I am Erika Escobar, pursuing law enforcement.