Increasing self-esteem among left-behind children in China: a cross-temporal meta-analysis from 2006 to 2020 : All author names.

BACKGROUND: Self-esteem serves as a fundamental indicator for assessing the mental health of left-behind children in China. Previous studies have placed more emphasis on investigating its current situation, while overlooking its dynamic changes with social development. METHODS: This research project used the approach of cross-temporal meta-analysis to analyze 72 papers that used the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, ranging from 2006 to 2020(date of data collection) and covering 29,835 left-behind children, to delve into the diachronic changes and influencing factors of self-esteem of left-behind children over the years. RESULTS: The outcomes demonstrated that: (1) The self-esteem scores of Chinese left-behind children increased from 30.74 in 2006 to 32.7 in 2020. (2) The level of self-esteem among left-behind children was significantly correlated with social indicators (economic conditions and educational level) for the actual year, 3 years prior, or 5 years prior to the self-esteem data collection. CONCLUSIONS: The level of self-esteem of left-behind children has been rising between 2006 and 2020. In addition, it is noteworthy that social development had a significant influence on predicting changes in the self-esteem of left-behind children.

Cumulative ecological risk and cyberbullying among college students: a chain mediation model.

Introduction: Cyberbullying among college students has been receiving increased research attention. Previous studies have focused primarily on the impact of a single risk factor on cyberbullying among college students. However, individual behavior is influenced by multiple ecosystems simultaneously, including family, school, and peers. To explore the effects of a single risk factor alone is not in line with the reality of everyday life, and the effect of the single risk factor can often be overestimated. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the impact of multiple risk factors, namely cumulative ecological risk, on cyberbullying, while analyzing the mediating roles of belief in a just world and moral disengagement. Methods: A survey was conducted among 805 college students from two universities in Hebei Province, China, using the cumulative ecological risk questionnaire, the cyberbullying scale, the belief in a just world scale, and the moral disengagement scale. Results: The results showed that: (a) Cumulative ecological risk was positively correlated with moral disengagement and cyberbullying, and negatively correlated with belief in a just world. Belief in a just world was negatively correlated with moral disengagement and cyberbullying. Moral disengagement was positively correlated with cyberbullying; (b) Belief in a just world partially mediated the relationship between cumulative ecological risk and cyberbullying; (c) Moral disengagement partially mediated the relationship between cumulative ecological risk and cyberbullying; (d) Belief in a just world and moral disengagement played a chain mediating role between cumulative ecological risk and college students' cyberbullying. Discussion: This study provides valuable insight for the reduction of cyberbullying behavior among college students, and offers suggestions on how to create a more favorable online environment.

Protecting public's wellbeing against COVID-19 infodemic: The role of trust in information sources and rapid dissemination and transparency of information over time.

Objectives: This study examined how trust in the information about COVID-19 from social media and official media as well as how the information was disseminated affect public's wellbeing directly and indirectly through perceived safety over time. Methods: Two online surveys were conducted in China, with the first survey (Time1, N = 22,718) being at the early stage of the pandemic outbreak and the second one (Time 2, N = 2,901) two and a half years later during the zero-COVID policy lockdown period. Key measured variables include trust in official media and social media, perceived rapid dissemination and transparency of COVID-19-related information, perceived safety, and emotional responses toward the pandemic. Data analysis includes descriptive statistical analysis, independent samples t-test, Pearson correlations, and structural equation modeling. Results: Trust in official media, perceived rapid dissemination and transparency of COVID-19-related information, perceived safety, as well as positive emotional response toward COVID-19 increased over time, while trust in social media and depressive response decreased over time. Trust in social media and official media played different roles in affecting public's wellbeing over time. Trust in social media was positively associated with depressive emotions and negatively associated with positive emotion directly and indirectly through decreased perceived safety at Time 1. However, the negative effect of trust in social media on public's wellbeing was largely decreased at Time 2. In contrast, trust in official media was linked to reduced depressive response and increased positive response directly and indirectly through perceived safety at both times. Rapid dissemination and transparency of COVID-19 information contributed to enhanced trust in official media at both times. Conclusion: The findings highlight the important role of fostering public trust in official media through rapid dissemination and transparency of information in mitigating the negative impact of COVID-19 infodemic on public's wellbeing over time.