Relationship Between Trajectories of Perceived Discrimination and Socio-Cultural Adaptation Among Rural-to-Urban Migrant Children

Chinese rural-to-urban migrant children face a unique risk of perceived discrimination, which may threaten their mental health. However, little is known about the changing patterns of perceived discrimination in migrant children and its relationship to socio-cultural adaptation. This study used a three-wave longitudinal design with 3-month intervals to examine the trajectories of perceived discrimination in Chinese rural-to-urban migrant children and their socio-cultural adaptation across different patterns. A sample of 300 Chinese migrant children (52.67% boys) participated in this study. Two latent trajectories of perceived discrimination were observed: the Low-stable pattern (71.33%) and the Moderate-increasing pattern (28.67%). The Moderate-increasing pattern exhibited lower levels of socio-cultural adaptation than the Low-stable pattern. These findings broaden the understanding of the developmental dynamics of perceived discrimination among migrant children and provide targeted intervention directions for educators to support these children in better adapting to urban life, thereby promoting their overall development.