Now this makes sense.

I think there is some truth to poverty being linked to crime and bad behavior, but we must not go too far with any possible connection. After all, West Virginia has been one of the poorest states for decades and yet it has had one of the lowest crime rates, especially a very low violent crime rate, for many years.

OldWiseGuy said:

This academic agrees that bad behavior is strongly linked to poverty, and in fact is not just an effect but a primary cause.

The Behavioral Aspects of Poverty

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"Some are poor primarily because, like Cunningham, they persist in perverse and antisocial behavior."

"It was based on the idea that in order to achieve a middle-class life, an individual must do a few specific things: graduate from high school, defer having a baby until marriage, and obtain steady employment. "

Expect the writer to be tarred and feathered any day now.

Desperate people do desperate things. No shocker there.

I think bad behavior is caused more by lack of discipline and breakup of the family rather than poverty. I know plenty of old timers that grew up poor but had good behavior.

There's such a variety of things that cause bad behavior that it's hard to pin it down on any specific thing like income. I have a family member, for example, who comes from a fairly well-off home and yet is the worst behaved person I have ever met. And her dad is a pastor! It all depends on family, income, location, the people you know, your own self-awareness/self-control, and of course your relationship with God.

OldWiseGuy said:

This academic agrees that bad behavior is strongly linked to poverty, and in fact is not just an effect but a primary cause.

The Behavioral Aspects of Poverty

Click to expand...

I guess this explains why rich people never misbehave.

archer75 said:

I guess this explains why rich people never misbehave.

Click to expand...

or maybe it explains why there was so much crime in the 1930s. And why every old person I know is lying about loving their family while growing up poor. sarcasm of course.

So it's an article pertaining to Classism then? It is already clear that poverty has a distinct connection with a disadvantaged upbringing and poor choices, but what is the intent behind writing this article? Is the tone of this article compassionate or condescending to the poor and their behavioral struggles? There is a major difference between the two, and since it is the poor who will feel the heart of these improvements from their behavioral changes any condescension felt will repulse them away from what the writer is proposing, which is especially problematic as behavioral therapy would require utmost cooperation from the poor themselves. Maybe the author's heart is pure in compassion to the poor as they say, but for their argument to work it must be, because poverty and intelligence are not mutually exclusive. A depressed man can be intelligent and make bad choices that lead to poverty in despair, for example.

The heart will see through patronizing sweet-talk, and if this happens it will cause a further rift between the poor and the rich that the author aspires to reconcile.

HTacianas said:

"Some are poor primarily because, like Cunningham, they persist in perverse and antisocial behavior."

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Hi HT,

Likewise, just so everyone knows that there are two sides to every coin, some are rich because they have no moral values and would take their grandmother's last dollar if the felt like it, like Mr. Madoff.

God bless,
In Christ, ted

Throughout history, positions that see poverty as a simple moral failing are generally taken to make people feel better about ignoring poverty.

In it's ugliest form we see this in events like the Irish potato famine where callous policy's were basically adopted to starve and punish the Irish poor, literally starving them for their their moral failings.

"The judgement of God sent the calamity to teach the Irish a lesson, that calamity must not be too much mitigated. …The real evil with which we have to contend is not the physical evil of the Famine, but the moral evil of the selfish, perverse and turbulent character of the people."

- Charles Trevelyan, head of administration for famine relief during the Great Irish famine

OldWiseGuy said:

This academic agrees that bad behavior is strongly linked to poverty, and in fact is not just an effect but a primary cause.

The Behavioral Aspects of Poverty

Click to expand...

Any study that tries to remove personal responsibility for choices made is just another liberal dodge.

Jr.

Additionally, statistical indicators do not legitimately shift responsibility away from the individual by trying to place blame on poverty. The ultimate responsibility is the crushing force upon the shoulders of those who choose to act out in bad and violent reaction, in spite of their economic standing.

Jr.