2007 Volume 21 Issue 2 Pages 77-94
In this research, in order to examine what the father image of the son with “Hikikomori” (social withdrawal) is, the investigation concerning the father image was executed for 213 male university students and 31 males who experienced Hikikomori. It became clear that the Hikikomori group put their fathers high in respect of “strict/non flexible”, while low in respect of “intimacy”, “respect and trust”, “feelings of understanding”, “loved feelings” and “attitude to face his son” compared with general students group as a result of analysis.
Moreover, after examining the variable which has influence on the period of Hikikomori, the relations among “strict/non flexible”, “intimacy” and “attitude to face his son” was suggested.
Next, comparing the group of 32 fathers of Hikikomori with the group of 36 fathers of ordinary sons, it was shown that the group of fathers of Hikikomori put their relationships with their sons lower in respect of “intimacy” and “attitude to face his son” than the other group.
Furthermore, Hikikomori group and father of Hikikomori group, general student group and general father group were compared. Consequently the following several points were observed.
1. Both in ordinary homes and Hikikomori homes, sons don’t consider them being loved and understood by fathers so much as fathers assume.
2. As a feature of ordinary homes, sons respect and trust their fathers more than the fathers expect them to do.
3. As a feature of Hikikomori homes, both fathers and sons feel that “attitude to face his son” and “intimacy” are lesser than ordinary homes.
