Child Witchcraft Confession: Parental Reaction And Implication For Social Work Practice
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.712.8563Keywords:
Child, Parents reaction, Perceived, Social work, Nigeria, Witchcraft.Abstract
Accusations of witchcraft, especially in Africa has often been directed towards the child and most parents has refused to play their role of a child protector which is essential in making or marring child development and this has become a source of increasing concern for social workers and other international human rights. This study was therefore designed to investigate the reactions of parents to child witchcraft confession in Akwa ibom State Nigeria. A qualitative study design using in-depth interviews was adopted. Thirty (30) in-depth interviews were held among parent’s which elicited information concerning child witchcraft confession. The qualitative data generated were content analyzed and the results indicated that majority of the parents are not ready to condone their children who confessed to witchcraft activities. The findings show that in spite of globalization, children who have a link with witchcraft activities are in jeopardy. The study therefore recommends some agenda for social work practitioners on the issue of witchcraft and child development.
References
Abungu, G. H. O. (1995). Places of Power, Sacred Sites, Sensitive Areas and the Invisible Commercial Interest. Paper Presented at the WHC/ICOMOS Conference on Cultural heritage in Africa, Harare, Zimbabwe.
Adinkrah, M. (2004). Witchcraft accusations and female homicide victimization in contemporary Ghana. Violence Against Women, 10, 325-356.
Africans Unite Against Child Abuse (AFRUCA), (2009). What is witchcraft abuse? Retrieved 30 January 2010 from:http://www.afruca.org/documents/what%20is%20witchcraft%20abuse.pdf
Alston, P. (2009). Protection and promotion of all human rights, civil, political, economical, social and cultural right, including the right to development. Report of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions to the UN General Assembly, A/HCR/11/2, 27 May 2009.
Badstuebner, J. (2008). Drinking the hot blood of humans: Witchcraft confessions in a South African Pentecostal church. Anthropology & Humanism, 28(1), 8 – 22.
Bussien, N., d‟Ovidio, F., Graziani, L., Bunkers, K. M., Marfisi, L., Ramaboea, B., & Ross, F. (2011). Breaking the spell: Responding to witchcraft accusations against children. New Issues in Refugee Research, Research Paper No. 197, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency Policy Development and Evaluation Service
Cahn, N. (2006). Poor children: Child “witches” and child soldiers in sub-Saharan Africa. Ohio State Journal of Criminal law, 3(413), 414–456.
Church, G. (2018). Child witches and the state: The role of regime type and durability in the rise of urban child witchcraft accusations in Africa. MA thesis report, Leiden University.
Cimpric, A. (2010). Children Accused of Witchcraft: An anthropological study of contemporary practices in Africa. Dakar: UNICEF WCARO.
CNN Wire Staff. (2010). Nigerian governor says abuse of child “witches” exaggerated. CNN.com. Retrieved from http://articles.cnn.com/2010-08- 30/world/nigeria.child.witchcraft_1_witchcraft-reports-of-child-abusechildren?_s=PM:WORLD
Corrigan, O. (2003). Empty ethics: The problem with informed consent. Sociology of Health and Illness, 25(3), 168-792.
Dein, S. (2009). The jinn, black magic and evil eye among East London Bangladeshis. in J. La Fontaine (ed.), The Devil's Children, Ashgate, pp. 77-90. 702
Donaldson, L. P. (2018). The importance of religion and spirituality in social work practice to strengthen practitioners, communities, couples, and individuals and in the cultivation of a praxis of love. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 37(4), 329-330 th Ekpimah, E. (2016, May 18 ). Woman slays father for alleged witchcraft. Punchng.com, Retrieved from:https://punchng.com/woman-slays-father-alleged-witchcraft/
Eriksson, H. M. (2012). Witchcraft belief and accusations against children in Sub-Saharan Africa human rights in a world of cultural diversity. Department of Government Political Science Bachelor Thesis, Uppsala Universitet.
Essia, U. (2012). The Social Economy of Child Witch Labeling in Nigeria: The Case of Akwa Ibom State. Science Journal of Psychology, 1-11.
Essien, A. M., & Ben, V. C. (2011). New paradigm in witchcraft issues: A strategic procedure for sustainable development in Nigeria. American Journal of Social and Management Sciences, 2(1), 47–55.
Ezeamalu, B. (2010, February 1 ). Groups lament harassment in Akwa Ibom. 234next, Retrieved from http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5643063-146/story.csprd
Fakoya, O. (2010, September 23 ). Children of Akwa Ibom state and Governor Godswill Akpabio a note. Nigerian Village Square. Retrieved from:http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/dr-olusegunfakoya/children-of-akwaibom- state-and-governor-godswill-akpabio-a-note.html
García, A. D. (2013). Voodoo, witchcraft and human trafficking in Europe. New Issues in Refugee Research, Research Paper No. 263. UNHCR. The UN Refugee Agency, Policy Development and Evaluation Service
Haggerty, K. D. (2004). Ethics creep: Governing social science research in the name of ethics. Qualitative Sociology, 27(4), 391-414.
Hanson, K., & Ruggiero, R. (2013). Child witchcraft allegations and human rights. Directorate-general for external policies of the union, Directorate b, Policy department briefing paper. European Parliament.
Jackson, M. D. (1975). Structure and event: Witchcraft confession among the Kuranko. JSTOR, 10(3), 387-403.
Jayeola-Omoyeni, M. S., Oyetade, E. M., & Omoyeni, J. O. (2015). Witchcraft in the 20th and 21 Centuries in Nigeria: An analysis. European Scientific Journal, 11(28), 361-373
Jensen, G. F. (2007). The path of the devil: Early modern witch hunts. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield.
Martin, L. A. (2005). Children, adolescents, and English witchcraft. Thesis prepared for the degree of Master of Arts. University of North Texas.
Mbula, E. (1975). African Response to Western Christian Religion. East African literature Bureau Kampala, Dares Salaam and Nairobi.
Mgbako, C. (2011). Witchcraft legal aid in Africa. International Herald Tribune, February.
Morales, A. I. (2003). Father, i accuse myself: Basque women's self-depiction in 17th century witchcraft confessions. Lapurdum, 8, 359-373.
Nthamburi, Z. (1991). From Mission to Church – A handbook of Christianity in East Africa.Uzima Press- Nairobi.
Nyabwari, B. G., & Kagema, D. N. (2014). The impact of magic and witchcraft in the social, economic, political and spiritual life of African communities. International Journal of Humanities Social Sciences and Education (IJHSSE), 1(5), 9-18
Offiong, D. (1983). Witchcraft among the Ibibio of Nigeria. African Studies Review, 26(1), 107–124.
Ogembo, J. M. (2006). Contemporary witch-hunting in Gusii, Southwestern Kenya. Lewinston, pp. 111 ff.
Onuzulike, U. (2013). Children accused of practicing witchcraft in Akwa Ibom, Nigeria: a qualitative analysis of online news media. International journal of child, youth and family studies, 4, 447–466
Oyeleke, V. (2011 May, 15th). Plight of the child-witch. Sunday Tribune, retrieved from: http://tribune.com.ng/sun/sunday-zest/3875-plight-of-the-childwitch 703
Riedel, F. (2012). Children in African Witch-Hunts: An Introduction for Scientists and Social Workers. MA Ethnology. Marburg: Witchcraft and Human Rights Information Network.
Rintoul, B., Thorne, J., Wallace, I., Mobley, M., Goldman-Fraser, J., & Luckey, H. (1998). Factors in child development Part I: Personal characteristics and parental behavior. Draft Final Report. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Rismann, C. E. (2018). The persecution of 'witch-children' in Nigeria. The Politics & Practice of Child Rights in Africa. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328809229
Schnoebelen, J. (2009). Witchcraft allegations, refugee protection and human rights: a review of evidence. New Issues in Refugee Research, Research Paper No. 169. UNHCR, Policy Development and Evaluation Service: Geneva
Secker, E. (2012). Witchcraft stigmatization in Nigeria: Challenges and successes in the implementation of child rights. International Social Work, 56(1), 22–36
Stobart, E. (2006). Child abuse linked to accusations of “possession” and “witchcraft”. Department for education and skills, research report nº 750, Nottingham.
Stop child witch accusations coalition (2017). Roots, realities & responses: Lessons learnt in tackling witchcraft accusations against children. Seren Boyd (Ed.).
Uche, I. B., & Uche, O. (2018). Integrating spirituality and religious beliefs into social work practice in Nigeria. Conference proceedings of the 1st international conference of the Department of Social work, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, on the theme “emerging and contemporary social issues: the place of social work education and practice in nigeria”, pp 493-504.
Udeagha, A. U., Udofia, S. I., & Jacob, D. E. (2013). Cultural and socio-economic perspectives of the conservation of Asanting Ibiono Sacred Forests in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. International Journal of Biodiversity and Conservation, 5(11), 696-703.
van Eck Duymaer van Twist, A. (2009). Beliefs in Possession, in J. La Fontaine (ed.), the Devil's Children, Ashgate, pp. 13-28.
Washington, T. N. (2005). Our mothers, our powers, our texts: manifestations of Àjé in Africana literature. Indiana University Press.
Yardley, M. (2008). Social work practice with pagans, witches, and wiccans: guidelines for practice with children and youths. National Association of Social Worker.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2021 STANLEY OLOJI ISANGHA, IWUAGWU ANTHONY OBINNA, INYOMOMA. A. OBASI-IGWE, GABRIEL USIAGU AGHEDO, TAWAKALITU MARY OLAITAN, CHRISTOPHER NDUBUISI NGWU
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
