How They React? A Study of Children Left Behind Dealing With Parents Leaving in Indonesian Migrant Worker Families
Eri Wahyuningsih1 Tyas Retno Wulan2 Aisyah Apriliciciliana Aryani3 Lulu Nafisah4

1,3,4Dept. of Public Health, Jenderal Soedirman University
2Dept. of Sociology of Social and Political Sciences, Jenderal Soedirman University

Abstract

Background. Family separation experienced by left behind adolescent of Indonesian migrant workers may lead them to be more likely engaged in risk behaviors. It is important to understand how adolescent of boys and girls react differently as their expression to their parents leaving.
Purpose. This study aims to describe the difference of boys to girls behavior as their expression of their parents leaving.
Methods. This observational survey conducted in cross sectional design measured eight behaviors namely diet, physical activities, smoking, drugs abuse, dating, sexual activities, delinquencies and crimes, and risk to injuries. Sample were eighty one adolescent recruited by purposive sampling. Study site is Gumelar sub district of Banyumas District. Data was collected in July 2019 through a self administered questionnaire. Data was analysed in univariate to describe the adolescent behavior.
Results. Boys are more likely to be engaged in poor diet, smoking, drug abuse, deliquencies and crimes, and risky behavior tend to injuries. Group of girl is doing less of risk behavior namely poor physical activities, dating, and sexual activities.
Conclusion:
Considering the variation of behavior, boys health has higher risky than the girls. It might be develop from the culture of their neighborhood that stigmatized boys to be more rebellious than girls. Rather than put one group have more risky than another, it is important to support adolescent with adequate information and education of healthy behavior.

Keywords: adolescent, children left behind, risk behavior

Topic: Public Health