Answer: Research shows that lower-income mothers are less affectionate, less responsive to distress signs, and can have harsh parenting styles. Home environments of those struck by poverty are more likely to be chaotic. Parents are generally stressed, unresponsive, less sensitive and provide less cognitive stimulation for children. Children raised in poverty are more likely to drop out of school, repeat a grade, or be expelled or suspended. There is also a definite gap in SAT scores between students who live in poverty and their more economically-advantaged peers- a gap that has grown by 42% in the last two decades.
