Graduate Research Papers

Availability

Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Abstract

Poverty is a pervasive, multidimensional phenomenon that extends beyond financial scarcity to encompass a lack of both tangible and intangible resources necessary for healthy development. This research article synthesizes current literature to explore the profound impacts of poverty on adolescents specifically examining how economic hardship influences long term outcomes in financial attainment, educational success, and physical and mental health. This study investigates how cooccurring risk factors can disrupt neural development and social trajectories. The primary purpose of this study is to assess the duration and severity of poverty exposure and its lasting effects extending into adulthood. This research examines three core research questions: how family income impacts future financial outcomes of adolescents, how it dictates educational attainment, and how it shapes immediate and long term health outcomes. Findings indicate that adolescents in low income households face severe disparities as opposed to their middle and high income counterparts. For instance, after one year of poverty exposure, high school graduation rates fall by nearly 10%, while exposure to poverty long term (such as 4 to 5 years or longer) leads to college completion rates at under 20%. To mitigate these outcomes, this study provides a multi level framework to intervention strategies at the micro, mezzo, and macro level.

Year of Submission

2026

Department

Department of Social Work

First Advisor

Matthew Vasquez

Date Original

2026

Object Description

1 PDF file (28 pages)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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