Mitigation of problem behaviors among migrant children in China: A chain mediation model

This study explored the influence of social support on problem behaviors exhibited by migrant children, and examined the potential mediating role of interpersonal security and positive psychological capital (PsyCap). Migrant children (N = 746) and local urban children (N = 401) completed the Social Support Scale, the Interpersonal Security Scale, the Psychological Capital Questionnaire, and the Adolescent Character and Behavioral Problem Behavior Tendency Questionnaire. We compared the groups and conducted an intervariable correlational analysis of the migrant group’s results. The findings indicated that social support, interpersonal security, and PsyCap were negative predictors of problem behaviors in migrant children. Interpersonal security and PsyCap mediated the relationship between social support and problem behaviors via three pathways: interpersonal security alone, PsyCap alone, and the interpersonal security–PsyCap chain. Enhancing migrant children’s sense of interpersonal safety and building prevention-oriented positive parenting psychosocial support networks may help to reduce migrant children’s problem behaviors.