Are They Truly Left Behind? The Impact of Left-Behind Status on Social Inclusion in Rural Chinese Primary Schools

Abstract

China's rural-to-urban migration has left millions of children growing up in rural villages without parental care. While much research has focused on left-behind children's (LBC) academic and emotional challenges, their social experiences remain underexplored. This study examines the impact of left-behind status on peer relationships and school belonging in rural Chinese primary schools. Data were collected from 579 students across seven rural schools using sociometric measures, including the Social Inclusion Survey (SIS) and the "Guess Who" peer nomination method, alongside self-report measures of school belonging and bullying experiences.The findings challenge the assumption that LBCs are socially marginalised. Instead, they were more likely to be accepted by their peers and less likely to be rejected than non-LBCs. Both groups reported similar levels of school belonging, and no significant differences were found in bullying and victimisation experiences. However, non-LBCs were more frequently nominated as leaders, suggesting differences in social positioning rather than exclusion. These results highlight the need to move beyond deficit-based perspectives and recognise the resilience and adaptability of LBC. Future research should explore the long-term implications of these findings, while policies should aim to support the challenges and strengths of LBC within rural education settings.

Keywords: left-behind children, Social inclusion, Inclusive education, Rural education