Fairleigh Dickinson University Criminal Justice Discussion & Questions Discussion question: Students are expected to participate regularly and actively in

Fairleigh Dickinson University Criminal Justice Discussion & Questions Discussion question:

Students are expected to participate regularly and actively in classroom discussions; without substantial participation, you cannot get an A in this class. After reading the material, students will respond to a specific question for each assigned chapter. The discussion forums reinforce important concepts and help students engage with the material. You are encouraged to share your experiences in class discussions. However, please maintain confidentiality and acknowledge personal privacy in communication of personal or professional information about families, peers, and employers.

Primary responses for the first discussion forum of each week are due by Tuesday at 11:59pm. Primary responses for the second discussion forums are due by Thursday at 11:59pm. Primary responses posted after the due dates are considered late and will lose grade points accordingly.
Secondary responses to other students’ original posts should be submitted throughout the week. Students must post at least two secondary responses in each chapter discussion forum. All secondary responses must be posted by Saturday at 11:59pm.

Chapter 3 identifies many causes of poverty, including the Great Recession of 2008. It took years to recover from the Great Recession, with child poverty rates beginning to decline in recent years. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are witnessing unprecedented economic conditions, with over 38 million working Americans having filed for unemployment, and the number continues to rise. Inequality between the top and bottom income groups was at an all-time high prior to the pandemic. Consider the impact this might have on American families both in the short- and long-term. Then, discuss which policies (or sources of support) will be important in assisting families through this crisis in the years to come. You can reference policies identified in the text, but you should also consider what their limitations will be.

End of Week Reflections

At the end of each week, students will submit a one-page reflection (double-spaced) of what they learned during the week from the assigned materials and discussions. Students will be evaluated on their ability to identify important concepts and ideas from the chapters, their understanding of the implications of these concepts/ideas for practice, and their analysis of the strengths and weaknesses in the information presented. Reflections are due every Saturday by 11:59pm in Webcampus.

During week two, you will begin to read more in-depth about problems that children and families experience, which may put them at-risk of adverse outcomes and in need of intervention. Chapter three identifies many of the causes and consequences of poverty, as well as the effects of growing up in an impoverished environment. The chapter also discusses policies that attempt to alleviate the impact of poverty by providing assistance to families. It should be noted that this edition of the text was published a few years ago and the poverty statistics are not up-to-date. The author cites data indicating that child poverty rates increased following the Great Recession of 2008 and continued to increase, but those rates began to decline in recent years. Of course, COVID-19 is likely to have a disastrous impact on the economy and sadly these numbers might increase once again.

In chapter four, you will read about the various types of violence that children may be exposed to in their homes, in the community, in schools, and in the media. Parental and child substance abuse is also covered in this chapter. The causes and correlates of exposure to violence are explored, and both the short- and long-term effects of exposure to violence are discussed.

https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/faultlines/20… Chapter 3
Children and Poverty
CHAPTER SUMMARY
Poverty may be defined using various standards including absolute poverty, relative poverty or
alternately the Self-sufficiency Standard. Defining poverty helps in determining a family’s ability to
meet basic needs. Children represent the largest population living in poverty in the United States today;
the numbers have increased alarmingly over the last twenty years. A steep rise of children in poverty and
homelessness followed the recession of 2008 with minority children making up a large percentage of
this population.
Multiple economic factors have contributed to the increase in poverty or reinforced its’ cyclical nature.
The slow economic recovery added to the numbers of children in poverty, while constricting
employment triggered a rise in family homelessness. Family violence, runaway behavior, and issues
surrounding LGBTQ youth are amongst the stressors contributing to childhood poverty. Poor education
limits opportunities, particularly for young parents. Maternal education plays a particularly large role in
children’s outcomes. Persons with disabilities and immigrant children face similar economic challenges
as policies may not address problems entirely and the demand outpaces the availability of resources.
Children in poverty are subject to many life stressors, including a variety of health concerns, lack of
health insurance, poor educational opportunities, inadequate housing, and increased violence, both at
home and in the streets. Homelessness leads to higher incidence of risk behaviors. Physical health,
mental health and education may be compromised while access to affordable quality health care
continues to be a significant challenge for higher risk populations. The likeliness of violence in the home
rises bringing about an increase in abuse and neglect. Chronic family stress has traumatic short and long
term negative effects on family and child functioning generating the need for trauma informed
responses.
Programs, services and legislative efforts date back to the War on Poverty that attempted to change the
“culture of poverty’ in America. Although the effort was thwarted by the Vietnam War, a conceptual
framework and acknowledgment of conditions was established. Currently, many programs address the
needs of poor children and their families. Programs and services take form as concrete, communitybased or wraparound. Programs address financial, health, disabilities, childcare and education, and
housing needs. Using the Self Sufficiency Standard has promoted increased utilization of resources.
Historically progress has resulted from a combination of a positive economy, legislative change, and
development of new programs. Today, there is much discussion about how we can reduce the incidence
of poverty. Many economic, social, legislative and familial factors generate barriers to progress. Efforts
to reduce poverty will require multiple perspectives and include changes in public policy, civic action
and volunteer work.
STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to analyze why children are the population most significantly affected by
poverty in the United States today.
Students will be able to cite reasons why childhood poverty is increasing today.
Students will be able to evaluate the effects of poverty on children and discuss the major contributing
factors to these effects.
Students will be able to apply their knowledge of the programs designed to help poor families.
Students will be able to explain what is necessary to reduce childhood poverty.
Chapter 4
Children and Violence in the Community
CHAPTER SUMMARY
We are reminded daily of the problems that face our children and youths. Amongst the most obvious
problems are violence and substance abuse. Increasingly, children are exposed to violence on the streets and
in their homes. Evidence suggests the U.S. is one of the more violent societies amongst Western Powers. We
are learning the varied long term effects exposure to violence has on younger children.
One manifestation of violence— gangs—has become a significant problem. Some experts break gangs into
multiple categories. Each gang operates with a specific purpose and varies in degree of cohesion,
organization and orientation around a specific criminal agenda. Gangs vary in criteria for identity or
association. Gangs offer youths a sense of belonging, a feeling of purpose, and often the thrill of risk taking.
Gangs often provide an alternative source of purpose and value when family and society fall short,
particularly the critical notion of permanence. Membership may differ in level of association, commitment
and duration. Gangs may migrate to find new markets. Many similarities and differences exist between male
and female gang members.
Schools are now marred by violent incidents, notably, a rise in school shootings. Bullying has now become a
pronounced source of aggression and means for youth to demonstrate power. Youth fall prey to the
proliferation of aggression through social media and cyber bullying.
Relationships, too, have become violent for many teens. These abusive relationships often carry over into the
home environment, creating partners who sexually or otherwise physically abuse spouses. Domestic violence
and specifically Battering, in turn, effect the children by making them fearful and guilty as well as causing
them to repeat the cycle of abuse
Children are affected by substance abuse when they watch their parents abuse substances and when they
themselves become substance abusers. Children whose parents abuse alcohol or drugs may develop FASD or
may suffer from withdrawal at birth from various drugs. These chemicals can leave children with permanent
impairments. Abuse and neglect by parents under the influence may impact on a child’s ability to attach. In
addition, children whose parents are chemically dependent are affected psychologically and may end up
becoming caregivers of both their addicted parents and younger siblings and having psychological scars
impairing self-concept and impeding the ability to cope. Some children also contract HIV from substanceabusing parents.
Many chemically dependent children are attempting to cope with lives that are less than satisfying. Others
become addicted due to peer influences. The notion, often perpetuated by the media, that a quick fix is a
thrill is another allure of taking drugs. Designer street drugs and loosening regulation around drugs may
compound the effect for youth. For chemically dependent youths, there are often limited treatment resources,
although the number of such services appears to be increasing.
STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to explain what constitutes a gang, cite different types of gangs, and describe their
purpose.
Students will be able to analyze the reasons behind violence in relationships between youths.
Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the factors surrounding violence in homes and
schools.
Students will be able to evaluate the effects of parental substance abuse on children at different ages.

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