Teacher support, peer support, and externalizing problems among left-behind children in rural China: Sequential mediation by self-esteem and self-control. (February 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhang, Ruiping; Qiu, Zeguo; Li, Yajun; Liu, Lihong; Zhi, Suhua
• Is Part Of: Children and youth services review. Volume 121(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-02
• Subjects: Left-behind children -- Teacher support -- Peer support -- Self-esteem -- Self-control -- Externalizing problems; Social work with children -- Periodicals; Social work with youth -- Periodicals; Adolescent -- Periodicals; Child Welfare -- Periodicals; Social Work -- Periodicals; Service social aux enfants -- Périodiques; Service social à la jeunesse -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 362.705
• DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105824
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0190-7409

Abstract

Highlights: Left-behind children from a rural boarding school in Central China were examined. Self-esteem and self-control functioned as mediators. Peer support was negatively linked to externalizing problems. Abstract: Social support can mitigate the negative effects of being left-behind for children on adverse outcomes like externalizing problems. Self-esteem and self-control were found to be positively associated with social support and negatively with children's externalizing problems. This study aimed to investigate whether self-esteem and self-control mediated the associations of teacher support and peer support with externalizing problems. Survey data were gathered from a cross-sectional study of left-behind children in a rural region in Henan Province, China ( N = 301). Structural equation modelling indicated that the associations of teacher support and peer support with externalizing problems were mediated by self-esteem and in turn self-control. Peer support, but not teacher support, was negatively and directly linked to externalizing problems above the mediation effect. This study indicated a sequential mediation model from teacher and peer support to left-behind children's externalizing problem behaviors via self-esteem and in turn self-control. These findings may provide some guidance for the intervention programs to reduce externalizing problems in left-behind children.