Breaking the cycle: Investigating the social drivers of child witchcraft accusations and ritual abuse in contemporary Ghana

Reports, including empirical research, indicate that violence directed toward children accused of being witches (termed ritual abuse) has intensified in contemporary Africa. The phenomenon of ritual abuse has its roots in the medieval period where certain behaviors exhibited by children were labeled as non-normative and associated with supernatural beliefs. Over time, these beliefs have been influenced (both positively and negatively) by societal factors, with some of the negative influences leading to extremely violent behaviors toward children accused of being witches. Consequently, this study utilized narrative vignettes as a stimulus to interview 20 young people in Kumasi-Ghana on the contemporary societal factors that enforce or prevent ritual abuse in Ghana. The findings revealed religious leaders, traditional healers, and the media (movies), among the key factors that enforce child witchcraft beliefs and ritual abuse. Mallams (Islamic leaders), and concoction men (traditional healers) were reported as those who substantiated and provided directives on how accused child witches should be treated. In contrast, enforcement of local bylaws and education on legal protections for children were some protective factors that contributed to the decline of ritual abuse. The study highlights gaps in the framing of child witchcraft accusations and calls for social work involvement to address ritual abuse of children.