Child poverty and its impacts on social exclusion in Taiwan

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis study employs indicators of child poverty and social exclusion to examine the relationships between the risk of children falling into poverty and their chances of being socially excluded in Taiwan. This study defines ‘children in poverty’ as those in a household deprived of 60% of an equivalent median income. The dimensions of child social exclusion include necessities, health, leisure activities, local services, neighbourhood problems, and care. This study analyses the data of the ‘2012 Child Welfare and Needs Survey of Taichung City’, with a sample of 604 children randomly selected from the population under 18 years of age in Taichung City. It is found that 27% of the children are in income poverty; female, disabled, children in single-parent or grandparent-headed families, and children of rural areas have higher poverty rates. As for poor–non-poor children comparisons, children in poverty are significantly more likely to be deprived of common necessities, access to Internet, leisure activities, a variety of local services, a safe neighbourhood, and care for children. These findings suggest that material deprivation (poverty) has multiple impacts on facets of the child’s social life and his or her living standards. To promote children’s participation in society, raising them out of poverty is the most important task.