Psychological and Educational Outcomes of Chinese Rural Migrant Youths in Urban Schools: A Person-Centered Examination of Cross-Time Transitions

This study adopts a person-centered approach to examine how profiles of relationships with parents, teacher recognition, and peer relationships conjoin and influence the academic and psychological wellbeing of Chinese migrant adolescents. Drawing upon two-wave data from a nationally representative survey (N = 820; ages 12 to 16), three distinct profiles were identified: Optimally Connected (strong bonds across parents, teachers, and peers), School Risk (strong family ties but low teacher recognition and poor peer relationships), and Family Neutral (weaker family relationships but better school-based ties than the School Risk group). Profile comparisons indicated that adolescents in the two risk profiles had significantly lower psychological wellbeing and educational outcomes compared to Optimally Connected adolescents. Furthermore, the stability of the School Risk Profile was low (11%), with over 90% of adolescents transitioning to other profiles within a year. Other profiles were more stable (60% for the Family Neutral Profile and 78% for the Optimally Connected Profile), but the size of the Family Neutral Profile increased over time.