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The Impact of Frequent School Transfers within Cities on Migrant Children's Peer Relationships and School Social Work Reconstruction Approaches

Author(s)

Wu Ruohan

Affiliation(s)

Social Work Major, University of Jinan, Shandong, China

Abstract

Existing research on migrant children in China has focused primarily on the initial rural-to-urban transition, neglecting the repeated school transfers and residential relocations that many of these children experience after arriving in cities. This paper identifies a distinct phenomenon - "invisible left-behind" - characterized by the repeated severance of peer relationships due to high-frequency intra-urban mobility, resulting in psychological and social isolation comparable to that of left-behind children despite co-residence with parents. Through conceptual analysis, the paper delineates three mechanisms by which frequent mobility undermines peer relationship formation: temporal compression of friendship development, cumulative identity labeling as "perpetual newcomer," and self-limiting avoidance behavior driven by anticipated rejection. It then analyzes the cascading consequences for school belonging, self-identity, and emotional well-being. Drawing on ecological systems theory , social support theory, and resilience theory, the paper proposes a four-level school social work intervention framework - individual, interpersonal, environmental, and systemic - that addresses the problem at multiple ecological levels simultaneously. The framework emphasizes proactive preparation for mobility, transitional peer support structures, institutionalized newcomer integration, and cross-system coordination. The paper concludes with implications for school social work practice and policy advocacy in the Chinese context.

Keywords

Invisible Left-Behind; Migrant Children; Peer Relationship Disruption; School Social Work; Intra-urban Mobility

References

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