The influence of Japanese mothers' victim cognition regarding children and child-rearing on inappropriate child-rearing behavior

Japan is experiencing an increase in the number of child abuse cases by mothers. To effectively address this issue, it is essential to understand the psychological and emotional landscape of Japanese mothers. This study explores the structure of victim cognition that Japanese mothers experience regarding their children and child-rearing, and how such victim cognition may predict inappropriate child-rearing behaviors. The study was conducted with 258 Japanese mothers raising at least one infant. We developed three explicit measures of victim cognition (damage interpretation, threat to demerit, and identity loss) and one implicit measure (a harm-be-harmed implicit association test). Mothers’ inappropriate child-rearing behaviors were also assessed using a questionnaire. Covariance structure analysis was then conducted to reveal how these explicit and implicit victim cognitions affect their negative feelings and inappropriate child-rearing behaviors. The analysis yielded three key findings. First, identity loss directly facilitated indulgence, while damage interpretation and threat to demerit directly facilitated physical violence, neglect, and mental harassment. Second, identity loss and damage interpretation indirectly inhibited physical violence, mediated by empty feelings. Third, in the harm-be harmed implicit association test, the stronger the implicit association between self and be harmed, the more physical violence and mental harassment promoted (χ² (18) = 15.44, p = .63, GFI = .986, AGFI = .966, CFI = 1.000, RMSEA = .000).