Urban Children: Many people believe that it is better a child to grow in the city rather than in the countryside, but urban children are not necessarily better off. Outline the main effects of an urban childhood and justify your position on whether the benefits of growing up in an urban environment outweigh the negatives.

Children’s early experiences shape who they are and affect lifelong health and learning. To develop to their full potential, children need safe and stable housing, adequate and nutritious food, access to medical care, secure relationships with adult caregivers, nurturing and responsive parenting, and high-quality learning opportunities at home, in child care settings, and in school. Research shows that a large number of children face instability in their lives. Researchers from various fields of study—developmental psychology, sociology, economics, public policy, demography, and family studies—have independently explored different domains of instability in the supportive structures that predict children’s outcomes. However, little effort has been made to look across research disciplines and study contexts to synthesize our knowledge base and draw connections among the various domains of instability. In this synthesis paper, we build this knowledge base by exploring the extant literature on the effects of instability on children’s developmental outcomes and academic achievement.