Single-mother family as child abuse risk : Viewpoint of social exclusion and gender

Abstract

The current child abuse prevention policy identifies the absence of a father as a defect and sees a singlemother family as a risk.To find out whether single mothers are more susceptible to receiving judgment of abuse from public agencies, the study examined data of abuse consultations received and compiled at a child consultation center.After sorting the cases according to the severity of abuse and household types, it was found that singlemother families are more often labeled as “risk of abuse” level than intact families and that their abuses are typically judged as neglect.Next, interviews were conducted with six single mothers judged as abusers, which suggested that public services become burdens for single mothers.Once these single mothers were judged as abusers, they became surrounded by the authority’s surveillance network.When they rejected public services, the surveillance increased intensity, which made them feel rejected from their local communities.While being frustrated by the society's eyes, the mothers tried to lead stable lives by neither defying nor assimilating with their communities.