Abstract
Chinese rural left-behind adolescents tend to experience stressful life events and associated delinquency. However, the underlying mechanism that may moderate this process is largely unknown. A literature review indicated that resilience may serve to buffer the relationship between stressful life events and delinquency among left-behind adolescents, and this buffering effect may differ based on the length of the separation from their parents. Thus, the current study aimed to clarify the relationship between stressful life events and delinquency among left-behind adolescents by examining the moderating roles of resilience and separation duration in this process. In this longitudinal study, a total of 306 left-behind adolescents completed self-report surveys that addressed stressful life events, delinquency, resilience, and separation duration. The results showed that stressful life events significantly predicted delinquency over time. Moreover, the interaction of stressful life events, resilience, and separation duration in predicting delinquency was significant; the moderating effect of resilience varied based on the length of the separation from their parents. Specifically, the protective effect of resilience manifested in short-term, but not long-term separation duration. These findings contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms that inform the relationship between stressful life events and delinquency among left-behind adolescents. Moreover, they indicate that future interventions can be enhanced by targeting resilience among left-behind adolescents and advocating family reunions to avoid long-term parent-child separation.