Poverty and Substance Abuse

1205 Words3 Pages

Throughout my study I will focus on poverty pertaining to African-American males between the ages of 18-25 with substance abuse. The United States recession continues to illuminate the experience of poverty in this country and the weaknesses in programs designed to protect families from the effects of poverty. The poverty rate has risen over the last four years, and is just beginning to stabilize. In 1990, Schwarz (1990) stated about one in five American families lived beneath the poverty line. According Lein (2013), it is estimated that as of the beginning of 2011, about 1.46 million U.S. households with about 2.8 million children were surviving on $2 or less in income per person per day in a given month. This constitutes almost 20 percent of all non-elderly households with children living in poverty. About 866,000 households appear to live in extreme poverty across a full calendar quarter. The prevalence of extreme poverty rose sharply between 1996 and 2011(Lein, 2013). According to NASW (2012), Social work has a long history with the war on poverty at all macro, micro, and mezzo levels. It is also one of the six ethical principles according to social workers that make poverty a primary problem. It shows that poverty is not about just money. Poverty comes from multiple factors like political, social, and economic. The purpose of this study will be to explain why male African-Americans between 18-25 are more likely to live in poverty when dealing with substance abuse. Literature Review Poverty in the United States According to Lein (2013), the poverty rate increased in the United States over the course of the recession. In 2009, the overall United States poverty rate was 14%, and then rose to 15% in 2010, the highest rate... ... middle of paper ... .... (2013). Early childhood poverty and adult achievement, employment and health. Family Matters, (93), 27-35. Green, K. M., Doherty, E. E., Reisinger, H. S., Chilcoat, H. D., & Ensminger, M. (2010). Social integration in young adulthood and the subsequent onset of substance use and disorders among a community population of urban African Americans. Addiction, 105(3), 484-493. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2009.02787.x Lein, L. (2013). Poverty and welfare. Family Matters, (93), 17-26. NASW. (2012). Poverty. Retrieved from http://www.socialworkers.org/pressroom/features/issue/poverty.asp Ronald L. Taylor. Black Youth in Crisis. Humboldt Journal of Social Relations, Vol. 14, No. 1/2, BLACK AMERICA IN THE 1987 (FALL/WINTER & SPRING/SUMMER 1987), pp. 106-133 Schwarz, J. E. (1990). WELFARE LIBERALISM, SOCIAL POLICY, AND POVERTY IN AMERICA. Policy Studies Review, 10(1), 127-139.

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