A Study On The Relationship Between Perceived Discrimination, Loneliness And Social Adaptation Level Of Left-behind Children In Rural Area

As a special group,rural left-behind children are more susceptible to external factors than non-left-behind children,which could be more sensitive to external pressure,and prone to negative emotional experiences,such as loneliness and perception of discrimination.In the context of the COVID-19 and post COVID-19 era,we need to focus on the physical and psychological status of rural left-behind children and whether they can adjust themselves to various environmental changes in a timely manner.In this study,934 junior middle school students(632 rural left-behind children and 302 rural non-left-behind children)were selected by a questionnaire survey in a convenient sampling method to analyze the differences and current status of discrimination perception,loneliness and social adaptation level,the mechanism of loneliness in the sub-dimensions of discrimination perception and social adaptation level,and whether this role is moderated by left-behind status.The results were as follows:(1)Rural left-behind children had higher levels of group discrimination perception,loneliness,life adaptation and lower levels of learning adaptation and cognitive adaptation than non-left-behind children.(2)Rural left-behind children with both parents away from home reported the highest level of loneliness;the more frequently they met with their parents,the lower the discrimination perception,the lower the loneliness,and the higher the level of social adaptation of rural left-behind children.(3)The discrimination perception of rural left-behind children showed a significant positive correlation with loneliness,a significant negative correlation with social adaptation level,and a significant negative correlation between loneliness and social adaptation level.(4)Loneliness plays a completely mediating role in the discrimination perception and social adaptation level of rural left-behind children.(5)In the group with one parent away from home,the direct effect of group discrimination perception and loneliness was significant,and loneliness played a complete mediating role in group discrimination perception and positive emotion and interpersonal adaptation.(6)In the group with both parents away from home,the direct effects of loneliness and social adjustment were significant and fully mediated in all dimensions of individual discrimination perceptions and social adjustment;the direct effects of group discrimination perceptions and loneliness were significant and loneliness fully mediated in group discrimination perceptions and learning,cognition,positive emotion,and interpersonal adaptation.Based on the results,the following conclusions were obtained:(1)Rural leftbehind children’s perception of discrimination indirectly affects their social adaptation level through their loneliness.(2)Children’s left-behind status moderates this mediating effect.Specifically,for non-left-behind children,group discrimination perception is not associated with feelings of loneliness,and loneliness is not related to life adaptation;for those with one parent away,loneliness is not related to either life adaptation or cognitive adaptation;but for the children with both parents away,loneliness affects all five dimensions of social adaptation.This study reveals the importance of paying attention to the loneliness of rural left-behind children,enriches the theoretical study of discrimination perception,loneliness and social adaptation level of rural left-behind children,and proposes educational suggestions based on the relevant findings from school,family and society,respectively,in order to better promote the physical and mental health development of rural left-behind children.