Balanced time perspective and aggression in left-behind children: The mediating role of self-esteem.

Abstract

Left-behind children refer to children who have been separated from their parents for a long period of time because one or both parents have gone to work in cities and towns, and who stay in their hometowns or board with relatives in rural China. This study investigated the association between time perspective and aggression among left-behind children and examined the potential mediating role of self-esteem. The initial cross-sectional study (Study 1) involved a sample of 549 middle school students (M_age = 13.22 years, SD = 1.21) of whom 64.8% were classified as left-behind children. The results indicated that left-behind children exhibited higher levels of aggression, lower levels of balanced time perspective, and lower self-esteem compared with their non-left-behind counterparts. Structural equation modeling showed that balanced time perspective was inversely associated with aggression and that self-esteem partially mediated this relationship in both left-behind and non-left-behind children. Furthermore, Study 2 analyzed data from two waves of assessment involving left-behind children (N = 286; M_age = 13.30 years, SD = 1.01). This longitudinal analysis confirmed that balanced time perspective was a negative predictor of aggression in this group. Through the implementation of a cross-lagged panel model, it was found that balanced time perspective could predict lower levels of aggression in left-behind children by enhancing self-esteem over time. These findings illuminate the relationship between balanced time perspective and behavioral issues in left-behind children, suggesting the importance of interventions aimed at improving time perspective and self-esteem to mitigate aggression.