Effects of Childrenʼs Presence on the Attribution of Responsibility for Moving Out of Poverty

Analysis of an Online Experiment

Abstract

Proponents highlighting “child poverty” as a societal issue in Japan, hoped that this emphasis would foster an understanding of poverty as a public concern that requires societal solutions. Critics, however, argue that this focus might unintentionally suggest that “adult poverty” is a consequence of personal failings, reinforcing an individualistic perspective of responsibility.

Building on the debate surrounding “child poverty,” this study analyzes data obtained from an online survey experiment to understand the societal perceptions of,（i）who is responsible for poverty alleviation—the government, relatives of the impoverished, or the impoverished individuals themselves, and（ii）how these perceptions vary according to the characteristics of the impoverished individuals. Specifically, we scrutinized the role of children within these contexts and investigated how their presence or absence, including their attributes, affects societal attitudes toward poverty relief.

Our analysis reveals that the presence of high-achieving children in impoverished families strengthens the perception of governmental responsibility. Further, public support for poverty relief for children is also conditioned by academic performance. Conversely, children within impoverished families amplify the attribution of responsibility to their relatives, suggesting that families are often viewed as responsible for alleviating poverty.

These findings indicate that societal sympathy and support for relief are primarily restricted to children with excellent academic grades. They also reveal an inherent bias shifting the responsibility for relief from child poverty, from the government toward relatives. This suggests that the discourse strategy of addressing overall poverty by emphasizing “child poverty” may face considerable challenges.