Biggest Predictor of Anxiety, Lying and Aggression in Low Income Children: Housing Quality

For low-income families, substandard housing takes toll on children. A new study finds that children who live in housing with leaks, broken windows, insects and rodents are more likely to suffer from all of the negative outcomes that plague poor and inner city children. The quality of housing, more than any other factor, seems to predict whether a child will develop anxiety, aggression, criminal behavior and other mental and behavioral conditions most likely because the sense of instability and the stress of bad day to day living conditions probably leads to a strong impact on development. This makes so much sense! If we could provide children with decent, stable, secure living space, we could probably reverse the poor performance of poor children around the world. What an impact on education alone this would have.