Emotional and Behavioral Problems of Left-Behind Children in Impoverished Rural China:A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study of First Grade Junior High School

Objective:To investigate the prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems and related factors of left-behind children in impoverished rural China(mainly in thefirst grade of junior high school).Methods:A cross-sectional survey of rural households in 27 poverty-stricken counties in 12 provinces across China was conducted using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire(SDQ).Results:The prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems in left-behind children was 11.7%,and that of non-left-behind children was 8.9%.There was statistical difference between the two groups(P<0.01).There are no differences between the two groups in terms of the various factors of SDQ.The incidence of insomnia in the left-behind group was 58.3%,which was higher than that in the non-left-behind group 50.9%(P<0.01);loneliness(62.1%vs.51.8%,P<0.01);running away from home(23.1%vs.18.8%,P<0.01),and self-injury behavior(16.8%vs.12.2%,P<0.01).Left-behind children are more likely to have negative psychological feelings including insomnia,loneliness,self-injury,and run away from home.They also experienced more bullying including maliciously teased by peers,intentionally excluded or isolated,physically threatened or intimidated.All of these factors are associated with their abnormal emotional and behavioural development.Conclusion:The incidence of emotional and behavioral problems of left-behind children in rural areas in poverty-stricken areas is significantly higher than that of non-left-behind children;Logistic regression analysis showed that bullying behavior and abnormal psychological characteristics are significantly associated with left-behind adolescents abnormal emotional and behavioral development.

Evidence for the Reliability and Validity of the Arabic Version of the Student Risk Screening Scale for Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors (SRSS-IE)

School-based universal screening for behavioral/emotional risk is a necessary first step to providing services in an educational setting for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBDs). Psychometric properties are critical to making decisions about choosing a screening instrument. The purpose of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the student risk screening scale for internalizing and externalizing behaviors (SRSS-IE). Participants included 3145 students and their teachers. Item-level analyses of the current sample supported the retention of all items. The internal consistency of the SRSS items ranged from 0.83 to 0.85. Convergent validity between the SRSS-IE and a well-established screening tool, the strength and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ), was found for the total score (r = 0.70). Additionally, the results of this study demonstrate strong social validity, suggesting the SRSS-IE to be a useful and functional screening tool. We conclude that the SRSS-IE is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the level of emotional and behavioral difficulties among elementary students.