Victimization of Children Left Behind in Rural China

2017 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 515-543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaojin Chen ◽  
Ningxin Liang ◽  
Stephen F. Ostertag

Objectives: Examine the relationship between parental rural-to-urban migration, caretaking arrangement, and left-behind children’s self-reported victimization in rural China. The direct effect of parental migration on children’s victimization as well as the indirect effect through positive caretaking and children’s delinquent/problem behavior involvement is explored. Methods: The study uses data from the Parental Migration and Children’s Well-being Survey, which collected information on parental migration and children’s experience of victimization from a probability sample of 800 middle school students in southern China. Structural equation modeling is used to evaluate hypothesized models by simultaneously assessing direct and indirect effects. Results: Compared with children living with both parents in rural China, children left behind by their fathers have an elevated level of victimization. In addition, the chronic absence of fathers leads to a higher level of delinquent and problem behavior among left-behind children, which in turn leads to further victimization. Conclusion: Left-behind children living with mothers, grandparents, or other relatives are an “at-risk” population for victimization. Local programs such as parenting lessons for left-behind parents and grandparents are needed. In addition, the importance of father’s chronic absence on left-behind children’s healthy physical and mental development needs to be further examined.

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110280
Author(s):  
Xiaojin Chen ◽  
Yuning Wu ◽  
Jia Qu

The present study aims to investigate (1) the difference in polyvictimization rate between children left behind and those living with non-migrant parents in rural China, and (2) the social processes through which the effects of parental migration are conveyed through children’s behaviors and interaction with the immediate external environment (e.g., family, school, and peers). The research hypotheses were tested by using a probability sample consisting of 1,681 middle school students in rural areas in Guizhou province (Mean age = 13.55, SD = 1.01; 50% of the participants were boys). Findings from multivariate logistic regression models and indirect effect analyses suggest that (1) overall, left-behind children are exposed to a higher level of polyvictimization than children living with both non-migrant parents in rural China and (2) whereas all left-behind children face similar challenges in school and family settings, each type of parental migration and caretaking arrangement entails unique protective or risk factors of polyvictimization. As one of the first studies to systematically investigate the rate and etiology of polyvictimization among children left behind in rural China, this study highlights the prominent role of parental migration in reproducing and reinforcing children’s differential exposure to polyvictimization among China’s rural families.


2008 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 240-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Athanasios Mouratidis ◽  
Maarten Vansteenkiste ◽  
Willy Lens ◽  
Georgios Sideridis

Based on self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000), an experimental study with middle school students participating in a physical education task and a correlational study with highly talented sport students investigated the motivating role of positive competence feedback on participants’ well-being, performance, and intention to participate. In Study 1, structural equation modeling favored the hypothesized motivational model, in which, after controlling for pretask perceived competence and competence valuation, feedback positively predicted competence satisfaction, which in turn predicted higher levels of vitality and greater intentions to participate, through the mediation of autonomous motivation. No effects on performance were found. Study 2 further showed that autonomous motivation mediated the relation between competence satisfaction and well-being, whereas amotivation mediated the negative relation between competence satisfaction and ill-being and rated performance. The discussion focuses on the motivational role of competence feedback in sports and physical education settings.


Author(s):  
Youngbae Yun ◽  
Jihye Choi

This paper focuses on the relationship between a child’s family relationship, emotional well-being, and self-regulated learning in Korea. The sample of this study consisted of 527 elementary school students who were selected from three different schools in South Korea. The data were collected using the family relationship scale, the self-regulated learning scale, and the emotional well-being scale. The results showed that the structural equation modeling analysis was a good model fit to indices. Family relationship such as cohesion or conflict had a direct and indirect effect on a student’s emotional well-being. Also, family cohesion and family conflict indirectly influenced a child’s emotional well-being through self-regulated learning. It was also evident that there were significant grade differences in the students' emotional well-being where 5th graders had higher positive emotions than 6th graders and 6th graders had higher family conflict than 5th graders. To sum up the findings, there was clear evidence that a positive family relationship predicted a student’s emotional well-being directly and anticipated a child’s emotional well-being indirectly through self-regulated learning.


2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-73
Author(s):  
Youngsang Jun ◽  
Junseob Shin

Our purpose in this study was to examine the influence of peer acceptance on euphoria in Korean adolescents, by investigating the relationships among peer acceptance, school life satisfaction, and happiness. We surveyed 343 Korean middle school students to investigate how the relationships among these variables were influenced by school life and family background factors. Results from structural equation modeling revealed that peer acceptance did not have a direct effect on euphoria, but that an indirect influence was applied through school life satisfaction. Of the school and family factors, family harmony showed a direct and an indirect (via school satisfaction) influence on euphoria. Implications of the results for enhancing the psychological well-being of Korean adolescents are discussed.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huifeng Shi ◽  
Jingxu Zhang ◽  
Yufeng Du ◽  
Chunxia Zhao ◽  
Xiaona Huang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: More than one-third of children under 3 years old are left behind at home due to parental migration in rural China, and we know very little about early childhood nutrition of left-behind children (LBC) because of the dearth of research. This study examined the impact of parental migration on early childhood nutrition of LBC in rural China. Methods: We used repeat cross-sectional data of rural children aged 6–35 months in six counties of northern and southern China, who participated in two surveys in 2013 and 2016 respectively. The length, weight, and hemoglobin concentration were measured by trained health‑care workers blinded to parental migration status. Generalized linear regressions and multivariate logistic regressions were employed to explore the association between parental migration and child nutritional outcomes at each time point. Results: 2,336 and 2,210 children aged 6–35 months were enrolled in 2013 and 2016 surveys, respectively. The risk of stunting, underweight, and wasting among the children decreased from 2013 to 2016. Children of migrant fathers performed as well as or better than children of non-migrants on these indicators. Children of migrant parents performed slightly worse in 2013, but equal or slightly better in 2016 on these indicators compared with children of non-migrants and migrant fathers. Children aged 6–17 months of migrant parents had a significantly lower risk of anemia than those living with their mothers or with both parents. Conclusions: Parental migration is not detrimental and even beneficial to early childhood nutrition of LBC in rural China. Programs for LBC are recommended to continue to focus on nutrition but pay more attention to other important health issues.


Author(s):  
Tali Heiman ◽  
Dorit Olenik-Shemesh

The current study examined whether perceived social support mediated the effects of loneliness and self-efficacy on well-being among students with or without a learning disability (LD). Participants included 834 elementary, middle, and high school students from Israel (29.6% students with LDs) who completed self-report questionnaires. The results of structural equation modeling indicate that social support mediates the indirect effects of age, gender, loneliness and self-efficacy on well-being. In addition, the results show differences between groups, as non-LD girls noted a higher self-efficacy and well-being than boys, and well-being had indirect effects in the non-LD group than in the LD group. These results indicate students with LDs have a unique social-emotional profile that affects their well-being. The study highlights the importance of enhancing self-efficacy and reducing loneliness in order to increase social support, thus predicting positive well-being. Effective and practical educational programs are needed for both groups across age and gender.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chi Zhou ◽  
Qiaohong Lv ◽  
Nancy Yang ◽  
Feng Wang

Abstract Background: Rapid urbanization has caused left-behind children to become a social problem in China. Psychological resilience is an important mediating/intermediate variable. This study aims to examine the role of parental migration status and parent communication on the psychological and related behavioral status of left-behind children through psychological resilience. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Anhui Province of China, and a questionnaire survey was conducted with 1992 teens using the Chinese version of the Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and Strength and Difficulties Questionnaires. Results: Compared with the never left-behind group, left behind children had relatively lower PACS, CD-RISC and SDQ scores. Absence of parents is related with poorer psychological resilience, while good parent communication is related with better psychological resilience. Better psychological resilience is related with fewer psychological problems among different parental migration status. The currently left-behind status demonstrated a negative influence on psychological resilience, while never left-behind status had a positive effect.Conclusions: Interventions are needed to enhance psychological resilience of left-behind children to prevent psychological and related behavioral problems.


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