The Developmental Trajectory of Social Adjustment Among Left‐Behind Children in China: The Predictive Role of Gender, Left‐Behind Status and Parent‐Child Cohesion

Few studies have systematically examined social adjustment of left-behind children. A longitudinal study with three waves was conducted on 512 Chinese left-behind children to address the gaps. The unconditional latent growth curve model revealed a linear decline in problem behaviors over time, whereas prosocial behaviors and school engagement showed an increasing trend. The conditional latent growth curve model indicated significant differences by gender and left-behind status in the initial levels of problem behavior, prosocial behavior, and school engagement. Children with different left-behind statuses exhibited distinct developmental patterns of prosocial behaviors. Parent-child cohesion played a protective role in problem behaviors, prosocial behaviors, and school engagement. These findings underline the protective role of parent-child cohesion and highlight the importance of providing targeted social services for different types of left behind children.