Parental Migration and Children’s Exposure to Victimization in Rural China

• In Event: Victimization During Childhood and Adolescence

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the associations between parental migration and children’s exposure to different types of victimization in rural China. Using the stratified multiple stage sampling method, we drew a probability sample of 2,498 middle school students from Guizhou province, China. The average age of this sample was 13.54 years old, and almost half of them were boys. Findings reveal an alarmingly high percentage of students (85%) who experienced different types of victimization. Importantly, the prevalence of victimization among left-behind children was consistently higher than that of children living with both non-migrant parents. Specifically, bivariate analyses show that the associations between parental migration and global victimization, conventional crime victimization, peer and sibling victimization, sexual victimization, and witnessing and indirect victimization were statistically significant. As one of the first studies that systematically and comprehensively investigate the prevalence of victimization among left-behind children, this study highlights the unintended negative effects of parental migration on children’s development and the urgent need for the state and local governments to develop and implement policies to assist this socially and economically marginalized population.

Authors

• Xiaojin Chen, Tulane University

• Jia Qu, Guizhou University of Finance and Economics

• Yuning Lu Wu, Wayne State University