Social Interaction of Rural Left-behind Children in Dafang County, China

Rural left-behind children in Dafang County lack education and care due to the long-term absence of their parents. Some of the left-behind children are withdrawn and reluctant to interact with others. Coupled with teachers and guardians' lack of teaching of interaction skills, the left-behind children have poor interaction skills and difficulties in social interaction. This study will use qualitative and case study methods using interview protocols to interview six children at a primary school to find out the reasons for the difficulties in interaction among left-behind children. Observation checklist and document analysis also was used as an instrument. Through interviews, the researcher found that some of the reasons why left-behind children have difficulties in social interaction are due to their personalities, and some are due to the lack of a platform for interaction. The researcher improved the social interaction difficulties of the left-behind children by taking group work activities, which enhanced their sociability. This study's findings will help improve social interaction difficulties among left-behind children in rural Dafang County. The researcher emphasizes using social work methods to enhance the communicative skills of rural children left behind and address their difficulties in social interaction, which has substantial replication value.