Factors Associated with Chinese Migrant Children's Social Engagement during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study in Guangzhou City, China

This study aims to examine whether social work services can improve migrant children's social engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic in urban China. Valid questionnaires of 416 migrant children in Guangzhou were obtained as the samples. Two regression models were employed to analyze the factors associated with social engagement. The results show that during the pandemic, migrant children with higher self-efficacy, higher community social capital, and better social inclusion tended to have higher social engagement. Among the three dimensions of social capital, only community social capital has a significant positive effect on migrant children's social engagement. The degree of social inclusion of migrant children affects their social engagement. Social work services are beneficial to promoting the social engagement of migrant children. The research has implications for the practice of child social workers. First, it is important to cultivate migrant children's self-efficacy to promote social engagement. Second, social workers should build the social capital of the communities where migrant children live to promote the social engagement of this group. Third, social workers should strengthen support for migrant children's learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.