Abstract
BackgroundDistress during child rearing is known as a risk factor for child maltreatment. In addition, it is known that social capital can be a preventive factor for child maltreatment. The...
Highlights
IntroductionFollowing the enactment of the Child Abuse Protection Law in Japan, the number of cases reported to the Child Guidance Center (which is analogous to the Child Protection Service in the UK or US) increased dramatically to a total of 40 639 cases in 2007
Addressing child maltreatment is a high-priority public health issue in Japan
The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether the home-visit program implemented by public health nurses or midwives at 1e2 months of age (Home Visit Service for Newborn) and home-visit program implemented by trained community staff until 4 months of age (Home Visit Project for All Infants) reduces parenting stress and increases perceptions of social capital in the community
Summary
Following the enactment of the Child Abuse Protection Law in Japan, the number of cases reported to the Child Guidance Center (which is analogous to the Child Protection Service in the UK or US) increased dramatically to a total of 40 639 cases in 2007 This number has increased by around 40-fold since 1990 (1101 cases) and by 1.7-fold since 2001 (23 274 cases).[1] One study reported that 65% of the mothers in Japan do not have confidence in their parenting abilities, 33% find parenting difficult and 18% believe that they maltreat their children.[2] This suggests that a substantial proportion of mothers in Japan experience parenting distress, which is a significant risk factor for child maltreatment.[3 4]. Conclusion The home-visit program conducted once or twice by public health nurses or trained community staff for mothers with infants showed no substantial reduction in maternal stress and no increase in social trust
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