The Influence of Family Care and Perceived School Climate on the Perception of Security of Left‐Behind Children: A Social Support Perspective

ABSTRACT This study explored the relative contributions and psychological mechanisms of family care and perceived school climate to the sense of security among left‐behind children. Data were collected via a questionnaire survey involving 965 left‐behind children in Southwest China, using the Scale of Sense of Security Among Left‐behind Children, Felt Social Support Scale, Family APGAR Index, and Perceived School Inventory‐M. The results of this study revealed that (a) significant disparities in the sense of security among left‐behind children were observed across different levels of perceived social support; (b) family care, perceived school climate, and perceived social support all demonstrated a marked positive correlation with the children's sense of security; (c) perceived social support exerted a significant moderating effect on the relationship between family care and sense of security, but no such effect was found between perceived school climate and sense of security; and (d) perceived social support played a complete mediating role in the relationship between family care and sense of security, whereas it exhibited a partial mediating role in the relationship between perceived school climate and sense of security.