The Penalty of Maternal Migration: Parental Migration, Caretaking Arrangements, and Custodial Interference Among Divorced Households in Rural China

Abstract

Existing research has examined the effect of parental migration and resulting caretaking arrangements on children’s well-being in rural China, including children’s exposure to abuse and neglect. However, to date, no research has examined the impact of parental migration on custodial interference—a type of parental abuse that has become increasingly prevalent in rural China. Using a sample of 426 middle-school students whose parents were divorced or remarried in Guizhou province, this paper delves into the relationship between parental migration and custodial interference in divorced households. Our bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses indicate that maternal migration and paternal care significantly increase the likelihood of custodial interference. The findings reveal the penalty of maternal migration and underscore the gendered labor division, which aligns with the dominant patriarchal values in rural China. Additionally, they shed light on the complex challenges faced by left-behind children in rural China and suggest that split households induced by parental migration may impede the child’s access to both parents, hindering their rights to familial contact, care, and intimacy development.