How do social environments and social relationships influence a childs development?
There is a considerable body of evidence demonstrating that an individual’s social environment influences their health status, although the mechanisms by which it does so are not yet fully understood. A number of possible mechanisms have been put forward. For example, it has been hypothesised that children may imitate what they see in their environment, thus those who grow up in contexts characterised by high-quality education and child-care, access to a range of essential services and recreational facilities and social cohesion, experience better developmental outcomes than those who grow up in contexts characterised by a lack of resources and social antagonism. Cognitive development and educational attainment A child’s social environment influences their cognitive development and educational attainment. Children who engage in good social relationships perform better academically than those who do not. Children living in social environments characterised by residential stability are l
