Crossroads of Absence: Parental Migration, Divorce, and Children’s Delinquency in Rural China

• In Event: Policy Panel: International Justice Issues

Abstract

Numerous studies have documented the lasting effects of parental divorce and parental migration on children’s involvement in delinquency. While children in rural China are increasingly caught in a “double disadvantage,” experiencing parental migration and parental divorce simultaneously, no prior research has examined whether the concurrence of these two forms of parental absence increases children’s risk of delinquency. Using a representative sample of middle school students in rural China, this study finds that parental divorce consistently elevates children’s engagement in delinquency. Moreover, this effect is significantly stronger for children with specific types of parental migration and caretaking arrangements, particularly those experiencing paternal or dual-parent migration.

Author

• Xiaojin Chen, Tulane University