Gendered Perspectives in Social Work: Mother-Blaming in Child Protection Cases in Indonesia

This qualitative phenomenological study investigates how gendered perspectives shape social work interventions in cases of child sexual abuse in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Through semi-structured interviews with eight social workers and analysis through a combined lens of feminist ethics of care, intersectionality, and Global South feminism, we identify a system of practice mediated by patriarchal norms. Our findings reveal five interrelated patterns that systematically blame mothers: (1) Maternal Caregiving as the Focus of Intervention; (2) The Unspoken Rule: channeling intervention through mothers; (3) The Overlooked Vulnerability; Complicity or Survival? The ethical dilemma of the “unreachable” mother, and (5) The Neglect of Fathers and the Paradox of “gender-neutral” Practice. We argue these dynamics constitute a form of secondary victimization, demonstrating how mother-blaming is intensified by the specific fusion of Javanese cultural ideals, the political legacy of State Ibuism, and professional practice. The study contributes to Global South feminist theory by illustrating the localized intensification of mother-blame and calls for a shift from individualized maternal blame to collective, gender-transformative child protection frameworks.