어머니의 취업, 사회적 지지와 아동방임

Mother’s Employment, Social Support and Child Neglect

This study explored whether mothers’ employment status and their perceived social support influence the extent of child neglect. Study subjects were 414 mothers of kindergarteners and 1st-graders. Questionnaires using Likert type scale were distributed through preschool and elementary school classes. Collected data were analyzed by SPSS/WIN 10.0.; descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA and Scheffé were applied. Study results showed: First, the most prevalent type of child neglect among mothers proved to be emotional neglect followed by physical, educational and medical neglect in order. Second, mother’s employment status was found to have significant impacts over child neglect among mothers. Working mothers tended to show relatively high rate of child neglect incidence than mothers who stay at home. Third, social support from husbands proved to be the most important factor in regard to child neglect by mothers; with lower support from the spouse would bring a higher child neglect incidents in the physicalㆍemotionalㆍeducational aspects. Study findings suggest that enhancing the intra-familial support system is very important as well as to establish formal social support systems outside of home to prevent child neglect.