Why the poor take more risks – and have kids earlier

Nov 3 2009 by Beverley Pearson, The Journal

HOW the surroundings in poorer and richer areas influence how residents behave will be explored by a North East scientist tonight.

Newcastle University behavioural ecologist Dr Daniel Nettle has studied how women in deprived areas have their first child on average nine years before their counterparts in more affluent parts of town. And at a public lecture at 5.30pm at the university’s Curtis Auditorium, he will also look at how a poorer environment makes it more likely that young men will take risks.

“Human behaviour depends a lot on the environment around people,” said Dr Nettle. One reliable statistic was that women in poorer areas were younger when they started having children.

“If you grow up in an area where the people around you haven’t got a good life expectancy, have long -term health problems and there is general insecurity over livelihoods it may foster a mentality of ‘can I afford to wait?’” said Dr Nettle.

“But if you live in an area where there is security, better economic conditions and people enjoying good health into later years you may think ‘I can take my time’ and do other things for a few years.”

Dr Nettle will also look at how, in poorer areas, men were less likely to live with their children, often because relationships have broken down. In more deprived areas, young men were also more likely to behave in risky ways, such as drinking too much and driving too fast. This could be based on the belief that they had less to lose than men from more prosperous areas.

Dr Nettle said there was good evidence that the surrounding environment also had an impact on the crime rate.

Tony Henderson