An example of a neglected child who constructed a special safe place both at home and at school

抄録

The objective of this report is to provide a concrete example of measures used to manage the mental health of a child affected by child abuse. A 13-year-old boy exhibited unusual behavior consisting of building a cubby house in his classroom and at home, and spending all day by himself in this structure. The authors suspected that the boy had been neglected by his parents and made inquiries into the boy's circumstances, talking to neighbors and people at school in order to gather information about his home life. It became apparent that the boy's tendency to isolate himself was the result of physical abuse by his father and neglect by his mother, which the yogo teacher and homeroomteacher had both failed to recognize. The authors advised that the homeroomteacher should be on the alert for signs of conflict within the family and that the yogo teacher should work to foster cooperation between teachers and the school counselor. After two years of lifestyle coaching and family support measures, the boy stopped building "cubby houses" and was re-integrated into society.