The Effects of Parental Absence on Children Development: Evidence from Left-Behind Children in China

Mingzhi Mao, Lijun Zang and Haifeng Zhang
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Mingzhi Mao: School of Public Affairs, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Lijun Zang: School of Public Affairs, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Haifeng Zhang: School of Economics and Center of Social Welfare and Governance, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 18, 1-17

Abstract: Parental care in early childhood is viewed as one of the most important factors that help foster children’s abilities. Using two nationally representative datasets collected in China, this paper examines the effects of parental absence on the short-term in-school outcomes and long-term educational achievement of left-behind children. The results show that parental absence is negatively associated with the development of left-behind children. Left-behind children have a lower cognitive test score and academic test score, and they are also less likely to attend a college. In particular, a mother’s absence seems to have persistent negative effects on children’s development. Mechanism analyses show that parental absence may result in a less healthy mental status of children and reduce children’s efforts in class. However, we do not find significant evidence that the exposure to left-behind children in class lowers the in-school outcomes of children.

Keywords: parental absence; cognitive ability; test score; left-behind children (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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