{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,17]],"date-time":"2026-08-17T22:37:46Z","timestamp":1787006266110,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2017,11,30]],"date-time":"2017-11-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1512000000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Trauma, Violence, &amp; Abuse"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2020,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Studies concerning left-behind children in rural China have shown that parental absence due to migration is associated with greater risk of child victimization and accidental injuries, and a range of psychosocial problems. The authors conducted this meta-analysis to determine the extent to which left-behind children are affected by parental migration, as compared to children in nonmigrant rural families. A comprehensive literature search was conducted, and 90 studies published before 2017 were included in the data synthesis and analysis. The results revealed that compared to non-left-behind children, rural left-behind children are generally more disadvantaged in regard to child safety ( d = 0.27) and psychological adjustment ( d = 0.25). The effect sizes, though interpreted as small, revealed that children in rural China are significantly affected by parental migration. Children\u2019s educational stage was a significant variable that moderated the effect sizes of child safety and psychological adjustment. The findings of the meta-analysis indicated that mother-only migration may have the most harmful effect on children. In terms of implications for interventions, the results suggest more attention should be given to rural left-behind children and to \u201cmother-absent children\u201d in particular. Future research is warranted to explore the association between left-behind children\u2019s psychological adjustment and their exposure to injury and victimization.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/1524838017744768","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2017,11,30]],"date-time":"2017-11-30T20:57:44Z","timestamp":1512075464000},"page":"113-122","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":71,"title":["Parental Migration, Children\u2019s Safety and Psychological Adjustment in Rural China: A Meta-Analysis"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"21","author":[{"given":"Mengtong","family":"Chen","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xiaoyue","family":"Sun","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"East Asian Legal Studies at Harvard Law School, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Qiqi","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ko Ling","family":"Chan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2017,11,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"bibr1-1524838017744768","unstructured":"All-China Women\u2019s Federation. (2013). The research report of the status of left-behind children in rural China and migrant children in urban areas. Retrieved from http:\/\/www.ce.cn\/xwzx\/gnsz\/gdxw\/201305\/10\/t20130510_24368366.shtml"},{"key":"bibr2-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/0893-3200.15.3.355"},{"key":"bibr3-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-2909.110.1.26"},{"key":"bibr4-1524838017744768","volume-title":"Social impact of emigration and rural-urban migration in Central and Eastern Europe","author":"B\u00e9lorgey N.","year":"2012"},{"key":"bibr5-1524838017744768","first-page":"179","volume":"13","author":"Biao X.","year":"2007","journal-title":"Population"},{"key":"bibr6-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/9780470743386"},{"key":"bibr7-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(16)31389-7"},{"key":"bibr8-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1741-3737.2010.00750.x"},{"key":"bibr9-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ypmed.2012.12.018"},{"key":"bibr10-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chiabu.2014.05.006"},{"key":"bibr11-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chiabu.2016.07.009"},{"key":"bibr12-1524838017744768","first-page":"37","volume-title":"Chinese migration and families-at-risk","author":"Chen M.","year":"2015"},{"key":"bibr13-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/cch.12221"},{"key":"bibr14-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-2909.112.1.155"},{"key":"bibr15-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/15374416.2015.1004679"},{"key":"bibr17-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.worlddev.2013.10.021"},{"key":"bibr18-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0022427803256236"},{"key":"bibr19-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3138\/jcfs.43.6.871"},{"key":"bibr20-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.0006-341X.2000.00455.x"},{"key":"bibr21-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00127-009-0107-4"},{"key":"bibr22-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chiabu.2014.05.005"},{"key":"bibr23-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s13524-011-0081-9"},{"key":"bibr24-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.2014.3212"},{"key":"bibr25-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1741-3737.2011.00844.x"},{"key":"bibr26-1524838017744768","unstructured":"Guo L. (2012). Migration and the well-being of left-behind children in China (Doctoral thesis, State University of New York at Albany). Retrieved from http:\/\/gradworks.proquest.com\/3518148.pdf"},{"key":"bibr27-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/ijsw.12162"},{"key":"bibr29-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.labeco.2011.01.009"},{"key":"bibr30-1524838017744768","unstructured":"National Health and Family Planning Commission of the People\u2019s Republic of China. (2015). The report of the development of China\u2019s migration population 2015. Beijing, China. Retrieved from http:\/\/www.moh.gov.cn\/xcs\/s3574\/201511\/07b8efe0246e4a59bd45d1fd7f4e3354.shtml"},{"key":"bibr31-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10567-013-0138-y"},{"key":"bibr32-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10567-014-0176-0"},{"key":"bibr33-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/ip.2008.019869"},{"key":"bibr34-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/1099-9809.10.2.107"},{"key":"bibr35-1524838017744768","volume-title":"International migration report 2015: Highlights","author":"United Nations","year":"2016"},{"key":"bibr36-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1745691615600145"},{"key":"bibr37-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/cch.12172"},{"key":"bibr38-1524838017744768","first-page":"60","volume":"12","author":"Wang Y.","year":"2013","journal-title":"Social Sciences in China"},{"key":"bibr39-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1467-8624.2011.01698.x"},{"key":"bibr40-1524838017744768","first-page":"169","volume":"35","author":"*Yang W.-J.","year":"2014","journal-title":"Chinese Journal of School Health"},{"key":"bibr41-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s11516-008-0035-1"},{"key":"bibr42-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/03066150.2011.559012"},{"key":"bibr43-1524838017744768","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chiabu.2015.07.005"},{"key":"bibr44-1524838017744768","first-page":"713","volume":"31","author":"*Zhong Y.","year":"2015","journal-title":"Chinese Journal of Public Health"}],"container-title":["Trauma, Violence, &amp; Abuse"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/1524838017744768","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1177\/1524838017744768","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/1524838017744768","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,2]],"date-time":"2026-05-02T06:30:34Z","timestamp":1777703434000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/1524838017744768"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2017,11,30]]},"references-count":42,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2020,1]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1177\/1524838017744768"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/1524838017744768","relation":{},"ISSN":["1524-8380","1552-8324"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1524-8380","type":"print"},{"value":"1552-8324","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2017,11,30]]}}}