Those Who Are Left-Behind...
(Xinhua. A boy is doing his homework on a chair)
"I brought children into this dark world because it needed the light that only a child can bring."
-Liz Armbruster
Migrant workers move to work in cities for a higher income as they have a family to support. They are often forced to leave their children behind because it is too expensive to bring them along, and because of the discrimination they would face in cities. However, while their parents mean well in their actions, the left-behind children still face many difficulties.
-Liz Armbruster
Migrant workers move to work in cities for a higher income as they have a family to support. They are often forced to leave their children behind because it is too expensive to bring them along, and because of the discrimination they would face in cities. However, while their parents mean well in their actions, the left-behind children still face many difficulties.
Psychological Disorders
Drawn by Patrik Z.
The absence of parents is often the cause of many psychological disorders. A survey by She Mao, a professor at Central South University, shows that less than 20% of left-behind children are lively and healthy (Children). Verbal seclusion and cutting of wrists are some effects of little face-to-face interaction with their parents. A 10 year old girl from a village in Hunan province shared that hurting herself was the only way she could think of to bring her mother home. In a letter she wrote:
"I think, if I hurt my hands, my mother will come home. My mother came home the last time my hand was injured. She brought me a lot of food. So, I must get hurt often... But, when I saw Mother, I couldn't say a word, I just couldn't. I really miss Mom (Children)."
"I think, if I hurt my hands, my mother will come home. My mother came home the last time my hand was injured. She brought me a lot of food. So, I must get hurt often... But, when I saw Mother, I couldn't say a word, I just couldn't. I really miss Mom (Children)."
Vulnerability to Sexual Predators
Guiyang migrant girl working on homework amongst garbage (Fauna)
Left-behind girls are more vulnerable to sexual crimes: they are targeted because they lack awareness and are unable to protect themselves. Some even accept their sexual offender's offer to have sex with them for money, as well as the "love" they believe their offenders give them. The sexual offenders very often times threaten their victims not to tell anyone and bribe them with money.
Hong Hong, a primary school student was a sexual victim of Wang, a teahouse owner. She was later used to lure many of her friends to Wang. Wang would offer 20 to 100 yuan to his victims. His victims were all left-behind children, including one named Fang Fang. Fang Fang was told by Hong Hong that Wang had some clothes that she could pick up in his shop. When she went there, she was dragged to a hut behind the shop and was raped by Wang. He later gave her 20 yuan and threatened her to not tell anyone. Fang Fang was later discovered to be pregnant and she confessed of her sexual relationship with Wang (Children).
One major reason why these sexual crimes are able to take place is because the children aren't able to tell what is "good" and what is "bad". The parents aren't around to tell them what to do and what not to do. There isn't a guide to help them make the right choices and choose the right path to take. Many of them aren't able to tell the difference.
Hong Hong, a primary school student was a sexual victim of Wang, a teahouse owner. She was later used to lure many of her friends to Wang. Wang would offer 20 to 100 yuan to his victims. His victims were all left-behind children, including one named Fang Fang. Fang Fang was told by Hong Hong that Wang had some clothes that she could pick up in his shop. When she went there, she was dragged to a hut behind the shop and was raped by Wang. He later gave her 20 yuan and threatened her to not tell anyone. Fang Fang was later discovered to be pregnant and she confessed of her sexual relationship with Wang (Children).
One major reason why these sexual crimes are able to take place is because the children aren't able to tell what is "good" and what is "bad". The parents aren't around to tell them what to do and what not to do. There isn't a guide to help them make the right choices and choose the right path to take. Many of them aren't able to tell the difference.
Holding Grudges
(Li, Cristy)
Yet, as the number of left-behind children grow, more and more kids are beginning to feel cold and unwanted. They start to hold grudges against their parents for not being by their side.
“How’s your schoolwork?" "Good"; "How's your mother?" "Good"; "Everything alright at home?" "All is fine (China's)."
Listed above is a 30-second phone conversation between a migrant worker father and his child, who lives at home, hundreds of kilometers away from his dad's workplace. "The younger the child, the greater and more important the child's need for an emotional support structure is, and most importantly from the child's own parents. Problems with left-behind children to a large extent have to do with missing the emotional support of their parents," Chinese youth research center deputy chief and research fellow Sun Yunxiao propounded this view (China's). There are times when parents feel the urge to quit their jobs and rush home to their children, but they have to remind themselves that they are working to provide a brighter future for their sons/daughters. They stay because it gives their kids a continuous education, even when it's breaking their hearts to be so far away from their children for such a long period of time.
One example of a parent who quit his job is Wei, a former migrant worker in the city. He quit his job to be closer to home even though his new job would offer him less money. Since he's been gone so long, his son's developed a bad temper due to grudges against his father. His friends from school would constantly make fun of him, saying "your dad doesn't want you anymore (Wei, Song)!"
“How’s your schoolwork?" "Good"; "How's your mother?" "Good"; "Everything alright at home?" "All is fine (China's)."
Listed above is a 30-second phone conversation between a migrant worker father and his child, who lives at home, hundreds of kilometers away from his dad's workplace. "The younger the child, the greater and more important the child's need for an emotional support structure is, and most importantly from the child's own parents. Problems with left-behind children to a large extent have to do with missing the emotional support of their parents," Chinese youth research center deputy chief and research fellow Sun Yunxiao propounded this view (China's). There are times when parents feel the urge to quit their jobs and rush home to their children, but they have to remind themselves that they are working to provide a brighter future for their sons/daughters. They stay because it gives their kids a continuous education, even when it's breaking their hearts to be so far away from their children for such a long period of time.
One example of a parent who quit his job is Wei, a former migrant worker in the city. He quit his job to be closer to home even though his new job would offer him less money. Since he's been gone so long, his son's developed a bad temper due to grudges against his father. His friends from school would constantly make fun of him, saying "your dad doesn't want you anymore (Wei, Song)!"
Elder Children Responsibilities
Long Zhanghuan, 9, sitting in class with baby cousin in her arms (Lu, Qixing)
A series of photos of a schoolgirl taking care of her younger cousin while attending school (titled Hush, Brother Is Asleep) has gone viral on the internet and has been received many emotional comments. Their parents work outside of the village where they go to school, so they are unable to take care of the family. Even though the children are left with their grandparents, the elder cousin still has to take on responsibilities since her grandparents are old, fragile, and can't do a lot of work. This is just one of many examples of what happens to left-behind children (Lu, Horace).
"You cannot help crying when poverty, helplessness and all the tough facts of the left-behind children's lives are epitomized in one snapshot."
- Anonymous Internet User (Xinhua, "Left-behind kids a 'bleeding wound")
Almost all the time, older kids have to look after themselves as well as their younger siblings or relatives. Left-behind children these days are burdened with housework, homework and other types of chores. Because they're left with little adult supervision and/or limited contact with their parents, these children are easy to pick on. “The People's Daily reports that left behind children form the second biggest group of victims of robbery, beating, violence and abduction. The largest victims are migrant children, referring to those who move from city to city with their parents," Horace Lu stated (Lu, Horace).
"You cannot help crying when poverty, helplessness and all the tough facts of the left-behind children's lives are epitomized in one snapshot."
- Anonymous Internet User (Xinhua, "Left-behind kids a 'bleeding wound")
Almost all the time, older kids have to look after themselves as well as their younger siblings or relatives. Left-behind children these days are burdened with housework, homework and other types of chores. Because they're left with little adult supervision and/or limited contact with their parents, these children are easy to pick on. “The People's Daily reports that left behind children form the second biggest group of victims of robbery, beating, violence and abduction. The largest victims are migrant children, referring to those who move from city to city with their parents," Horace Lu stated (Lu, Horace).