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Subjective Well-being of Children Left Behind by Migrant Parents in Six European Countries

Author

Listed:
  • Sergiu Bălțătescu

    (University of Oradea)

  • Tomasz Strózik

    (Poznan University of Economics and Business)

  • Kadri Soo

    (University of Tartu)

  • Dagmar Kutsar

    (University of Tartu)

  • Dorota Strózik

    (Poznan University of Economics and Business)

  • Claudia Bacter

    (University of Oradea)

Abstract

This paper presents a cross-national comparison of the influence of parental migration on children’s subjective well-being (SWB). While studies often focus on the economic implications of adult migration, research on its effects on children’s well-being is scarce, particularly in Europe. Data from surveys of over 13,500 school children in six European countries with a communist legacy were analysed. These were collected as part of Children’s Worlds - The International Study of Children’s Well-being (ISCWeB). The findings reveal that left-behind children generally have lower levels of SWB than non-left-behind children, with girls being more affected, and the gap in well-being increases with age. Left-behind status was also associated with lower family and school satisfaction. A hierarchical logistic regression model was used to explore the role of parental migration and family and school life satisfaction in predicting high SWB of children. While including family and school life satisfaction in the model weakened the association between parental migration and child SWB, the models’ explanatory power improved. This study emphasizes the need for further research in this area to better understand the complex dynamics between parental migration, children’s subjective well-being, and other factors. These insights are essential for developing targeted interventions and policies to support the well-being of left-behind children in migrant sending countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Sergiu Bălțătescu & Tomasz Strózik & Kadri Soo & Dagmar Kutsar & Dorota Strózik & Claudia Bacter, 2023. "Subjective Well-being of Children Left Behind by Migrant Parents in Six European Countries," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 16(5), pages 1941-1969, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:chinre:v:16:y:2023:i:5:d:10.1007_s12187-023-10054-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s12187-023-10054-w
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