A recently released six-year study concludes that the social "isolation and limitations" of poor, inner city neighborhoods can have a more negative impact on a child's verbal and cognitive (thinking) skills than growing up in a low-income family.
In a study released last month, researchers found that children in Chicago who spent most of their lives in segregated, low-income neighborhoods scored lower on verbal tests even when their families were middle income.
In fact, the study revealed that living in a so-called "disadvantaged" neighborhood for at least two years lowered a child's verbal test scores by four IQ points - or roughly the equivalent of one year of education. The study looked at 2,000 lower-income and middle-income students aged 6 to 12 over a six year period. The study involved researchers from three universities and was published in a December issue of the academic journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
University of Chicago professor Stephen Raudenbush, one of the authors of the study, said that regardless of the family's efforts, growing up in or moving into "a high risk community makes it [verbal and cognitive skills] worse." He added, "Children who stay in these communities are at a distinct disadvantage the rest of their lives."
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