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Children with absent parents need more care
留守儿童需要更多关注
Henan, China's most populous province, has the country’s largest number of migrant workers who leave the province to work in cities nationwide. Many of those workers leave their children behind, to be cared for by relatives.
In Henan’s Tangzhuang village, 12-year-old Qu Gaofeng lives with his 75-year-old grandparents. His parents are migrant workers in cities far away. Like the 61 million other left-behind children in China, Qu sees his father and mother once or twice a year at best, mostly during the Chinese New Year, or harvest days.
Qu is a quiet boy, seldom talking with others, and always counting down the days when he can see his parents again.
"My parents call me every Sunday night. I miss them a lot. I can’t wait for their phone calls. Sometimes I call them," Qu said.
"Almost all the children in our school are growing up in an incomplete family. I mean their parents or at least one parent has gone to the big cities to find jobs. Qu Gaofeng appears to lack a sense of security. He raises his arms to protect himself whenever anyone is close to him. He plays on his own, and seldom interacts with other students. We’ve tried many things, but it's not getting better," said Zhu Shaoying, principal of Wanghe Hope Primary School.
Qu is not alone. Some left-behind children in his school have learning difficulties, poor mental health and behavioral problems.
This is not rare in China. According to a recent study, almost 50 percent of left-behind children suffer from depression and anxiety. They often have lower self-esteem and lower confidence.
But Qu and his friends are unusual in receiving attention from the authorities. The Henan Provincial Higher People’s Court has invited psychologists from Zhengzhou University to provide counseling to the children.
"Growing up without parents, most left-behind children can survive or even become stronger, while some can’t. I believe their grandparents and teachers have tried very hard, but it’s really hard work. That’s why we are here to help with our expertise. Qu is a good example. He was able to talk and play with his classmates in just an hour," said Professor Liu Huiying with Zhengzhou University.
Many parents in China believe it is their duty to work hard to raise the family’s standard of living. So do migrant workers. They focus on the material support, hoping their income sent home will provide their children with a better education and a better life. But the left-behind children miss out on their parents' love and care.
"Sometimes I feel guilty about leaving my child at home, but there’s nothing I can do. If I go back to my village, I can only do farm work. There will be very little income," said a migrant worker named Ye Zhaogui.
"We have found that left-behind children are not only more vulnerable to psychological problems, but are also exposed to risks such as rape, death by drowning, poisoning, and traffic accidents. And more importantly we found they are more likely to commit crimes. So we now focus on providing counseling regarding mental health, safety and law in rural areas," said Xu Zhe, director of publicity, Henan Provincial Higher People's Court.
Migrant workers are also reluctant to leave their old and young at home. But China's system of residence permits has meant that for a long time they have struggled to get access to services such as healthcare and education in the cities.
The situation has begun to improve, with the end of temporary residence permits. Now, a growing number of migrant workers are taking their children with them.
Growing up in an incomplete family, these left-behind children are often more vulnerable to psychological problems and social ills. China is now seeking to expand its budget for promoting psycho-therapeutic approaches to help these children. And to tackle the problem at its root, the country is slowly reforming its hukou system—a key reason that children and their parents must separate.
