Diverging Trajectories of Child Externalizing Behavior by Family Economic Status at Birth: The Mediating Role of Neighborhood Poverty

Abstract

Over recent decades, the United States has witnessed a concerning rise in economic inequality, posing challenges in addressing the disparities that emerge during childhood. Focusing on the processes and consequences of inequality, this study explored how children’s economic status at birth (poverty vs. non-poverty) and their residential environment interact to shape their trajectories of externalizing behavior—aggressive, impulsive, and harmful behaviors associated with adverse outcomes such as poor social skills, academic performance, and future socioeconomic status. Grounded in ecological systems theory and cumulative dis/advantage theory, we used panel data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, analyzing children at ages 3, 5, 9, and 15 (N = 1,687). Findings indicate that children born into poverty exhibited higher levels of externalizing behavior and resided in higher-poverty neighborhoods across all time points. Furthermore, children not born into poverty showed greater vulnerability to the impact of high neighborhood poverty on externalizing behavior; this effect was particularly evident at age 3. This study highlights the persistent challenges faced by children born into poverty and underscores the critical need for social work interventions to support these marginalized children. Future research should further explore the causal determinants of child externalizing behavior.