春原 由紀

In this research, I describe an effective group counseling method for empowering mothers who are suffering from their abuse of their children. Recently child abuse has been taken up as a serious problem in our society, but societal concern has focused on defending the child from the abuser. However, there has been little discussion on the necessity and the method of helping those parents who abuse their children. Even if the child is isolated and protected temporarily from the abusive home, it does not become a solution to the problem. If the parents and the abusive family situation do not change, the child returning to the same environment will be subject to further abuse. This research describes the management and the technique of group counseling, which are intended to help mothers who continue to abuse their children despite their conscious effort to refrain from doing so. Moreover, the study reveals the potential for helping the abusers by examining the case of one mother who was able to make changes in her life.