All you Need is..Measuring Children's Perceptions and Experiences of Deprivation

Abstract

Poverty is a heavy burden to carry in childhood. Statistics show that the numbers of children and adolescents living at risk of poverty or in consistent poverty in Ireland have risen in recent years. These statistics are brought to life by reports from service providers such as Barnardos and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul that tell how children are going to school hungry or are excluded from the normal activities of childhood like attending birthday parties or going on their school tour due to the costs involved. Research tells us that such deprivation negatively impacts upon the well-being, health and development of children and the adults they will become. It casts long shadows forward, condemning some children to “recurrent poverty spells or even a life full of hardship”. The cumulative effects of the inequities experienced are a particularly worrying feature of childhood poverty.