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The relationship between child poverty, the underclass and crime are profound. Research has shown us that children who grow up in low-income homes are less likely to complete school and more likely to have health problems. In most instances the underclass begins in childhood, come from low-income families and rarely move back in "social order", in other words, research has found it unusual for a person to go from a middle or upper class lifestyle to a lifestyle surrounded by poverty. In most cases individuals who grew up in a more affluent society have completed high school and in many cases college. This gives them a more stable background to fall back on compared to the "underclass" which rarely have completed school and in many cases have fallen into the attitude of "this is my life and there is nothing I can do to change it.".
If you were to compare and contrast the relationship of childhood poverty and the underclass and crime you begin to see a distinct pattern. First, you must look at childhood poverty, since these children have grown up in a world where material possessions are few and where items of necessity are scarce it becomes a set way of life. In many cases, the parents of these children will voice how this is how life is and this is how life will always be, therefore giving the child little or no desire to succeed. As these children develop into adolescents the likelihood of them dropping out of school and becoming teenage parents increases sharply. As a result, they may find it necessary to commit crimes to supplement their wants and needs for material items. Most commonly, individuals may start by committing property crimes such as shoplifting, burglary of cars and houses and selling drugs.