Effects of school-based and community-based protection services on victimization incidence among left-behind children in China

Abstract A rapid growing number of cases on victimization among left-behind children were reported and child victimization has become an important social issue in China. The frequent victimization events, together with its negative impact, lead the Chinese government to actively embark on innovation in protection service against victimization for left-behind children, especially at school and community levels. Drawing on representative data from Survey on Children and Old Adults Left-behind in Rural China, this study aims to test whether school-based and community-based protection service innovations have significant association with left-behind children's victimization incidence in China. According to the regression results, this study found that there was significantly negative association between protection service and victimization incidence among left-behind children in China. To be specific, school-based protection service was significantly associated with left-behind children's lower victimization incidence, and furthermore, combined protection service (both school-based and community-based protection services), which has significantly negative association with victimization incidence as well, achieved a more pronounced effect than school-based protection service only. Protection service innovations launched by Chinese government were proved to be effective in protecting left-behind children from victimization. The government shall lay more emphasis on innovation in protection service, as well as speed up the implementation of protection service policy nationwide.