Discussing The Future of Children Within the Context of Poverty and Environment: An Examination from the Perspective of School Social Work

Abstract

Globalization, concomitant with the escalating socio-economic and environmental inequalities, has elevated child poverty into a formidable challenge in both developing and developed nations. This circumstance, by reinforcing the vulnerable status of children, engenders an intergenerational cycle of poverty through the solidification of the phenomenon of poverty. Due to the adverse effects, it has caused in recent years on existing areas of struggle and intervention, including environmental inequalities, the social work profession has expanded its focus beyond preventing neglect and abuse of disadvantaged individuals, particularly addressing issues such as poverty prevention, protection, care, rehabilitation, and support. One of the structural problems caused by these environmental factors is child poverty. From this standpoint, this study focuses on the perspective of school social work, which is recognized as a specialized field within the social work discipline, centered on the principles of social justice, human rights, shared responsibility, and respect for diversity. The study emphasizes the outlook of school social work on the adverse relationship between child poverty and environmental factors, and delves into its roles and responsibilities in combating this issue by addressing the barriers to individuals’ social functionality. Furthermore, the study attempts to provide solutions from the perspective of school social work in the battle against child poverty, considering the interconnected factors that feed into the causes and consequences of child poverty.