Problems&Concern

Beyond the current situation for the left-behind children, we may have to pay a heavy price of this generation’s future.
<survey on current situation of left-behind children in China>

According to the surveys, there are some common problems experienced by China’s left-behind children.

Lack of love and affection

About the picture:The child has to work for the family’s living.

Research discloses that more than half of all left-behind children cannot live with their parents. 33% of the fathers and 25% of the mothers are away from home for over five years, 30% of the parents return home only once a year. There are also about 2% of left-behind children’s parents who do not keep in touch with their children. (survey on current situation of left-behind children in China).
There was a story about a runaway child on Feb 29th, 2008 Daily Sunshine, which is a local newspaper in China. The 12-year-old boy only saw his father 3 times in 12 years, for a total period together of less than 1 month. When he finally came to live with his father, he refused to accept his father and run away from home after only 6 days of living with his father.
The story is not a single case. Many LBC feel no love and affection because of being separated long-term from their parents. Furthermore, because of the lack of love and guidance, the children more easily get mental problems due to something happened, like pressure from study or lack of parents’ communication. The survey shows that 19.6% of left-behind children feel inferior, 11.4% feel rejected by others and 9.5% has the feeling being abandoned. Also 20% of the teenage criminals are left-behind children.

Education and Guardianship

About the picture:They studied with very primitive conditions.

Overall, more than a quarter of left-behind children live with their grandparents. The elders more likely than not have low education backgrounds. Also over a half of grandparents have to take care of more than one child, they can only focus on children’s daily lives, shifting the responsibility for children’s education and guidance to the schools. However, many schools in rural areas hardly meet children’s needs, because of the limited resources.
Because of lack of guidance, comparatively high numbers of LBC have the problem of tiring of study, therefore, they choose to quit school or play truant. Research from the Institute of Population and Development in China People’s University shows, there are only 88% of 14-year-old LBC staying in education.

Safety
The data shows that only 56% of temporary guardians with responsibility for the left-behind children often demonstrate concern for the children’s safety, by taking steps to avoid accidents. 34% of the guardians pay attention only occasionally. Also 8% guardians explain that they have no time to keep an eye on the children at all. (survey on current situation of left-behind children in China).
Moreover, some Left-Behind Children leave schools and stay with no guardian, which leads them to the higher exposure to safety problems. For example, attack of other people or being attacked, high percentage of LBC in kidnapped children group and drowning accidents. Girls experience sexual harassment but being unable to get help from their parents, experience sexual expleitation.

Apart from the common problems mentioned above, left-behind children at different ages experience different problems; the problem on left-behind babies’ scientific feeding and teenager’s employment condition after school as examples. .

Sources:

The Picture from :http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_4bc8523f010007at.html

http://www.cqdy.com.cn/dyky/ShowArticle.asp?ArticleID=4076
http://bbs.book.sina.com.cn/treeforum/App/view.php?tbid=4558&bbsid=9&subid=0&fid=139692&id=null