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Psychological development and educational problems of left-behind children in rural China.
- Source :
- School Psychology International; Jun2015, Vol. 36 Issue 3, p227-252, 26p
- Publication Year :
- 2015
-
Abstract
- With China’s rapidly developing economy and increasing urbanization, many adults from rural areas migrate to urban areas for better paid jobs. A side effect of this migration is that parents frequently leave their children behind (left-behind children). This research investigated left-behind children’s and non-left-behind children’s psychological, behavioral, and educational functioning. Survey participants included 1,708 adolescents (54.8% female; mean age = 15.03 ± 1.93 years) from rural areas in Central China. Additionally, 32 left-behind children and 32 head teachers were interviewed. Data indicated that in comparison to non-left-behind children, left-behind children were at a disadvantage in regard to emotional adjustment (i.e. lower life satisfaction, lower self-esteem, and higher depression), but fared better in educational adjustment (greater school engagement). Mitigating factors which positively influenced outcomes of certain subgroups of left-behind children included the presence of one parent, increased parental contact, and shorter length of time since parental migration. Information gathered from interviews with LBC also indicated adverse effects of parent absence on children’s development. Teachers identified education measures and support offered to left-behind children and reported difficulties in communicating with parents. Based on this study’s findings, and considering the perspective of educators, implications for school-based interventions are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Subjects :
- TEENAGERS
SECONDARY education
ACADEMIC achievement
ANALYSIS of covariance
ANALYSIS of variance
CHI-squared test
CHILD development
DEVELOPMENTAL psychology
INTERVIEWING
MULTIVARIATE analysis
SENSORY perception
QUESTIONNAIRES
RESEARCH funding
RURAL conditions
SELF-esteem testing
STATISTICS
TEACHERS
PSYCHOLOGY of abandoned children
DATA analysis
DESCRIPTIVE statistics
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 01430343
- Volume :
- 36
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- School Psychology International
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 102977803
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1177/0143034314566669