How Poverty and Stress Influence Students’ Behavior.

POVERTY & psychology; PSYCHOLOGICAL stress; LOW-income students; COGNITIVE ability; INTERPERSONAL relations; DECISION making; EMPATHY; SELF-control

The article looks at the effect of poverty and stress on student behavior and its implication for school discipline. It explains the tendency of poverty-related stresses to cause a loss of grey matter in the prefrontal cortex affecting complex cognitive tasks, social behavior and decision making. Also noted is the effect of poverty on empathy development. It suggests ways to strengthen the capacity of low-income students for self-control, social behavior and empathy.