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VIEWPOINT
Belief systems that justify child abuse are not only an African phenomenon, reminds Elizabeth McAteer  

The child abuse case involving an eight-year-old African girl who was thought to be a witch has led to calls for more understanding by child protection agencies of how and why this type of abuse occurred.

But before we all go charging down the road of looking for an exotic explanation of the abuse, and attempt to make it a culturally specific phenomenon, we should reflect on what we already know.

Ritual abuse is one of the many ways adults use to harm children, and consists of, among other things, the imprisonment of children in sacks, cupboards, boxes or any other enclosed space, the smearing with and forced drinking of animal blood and the killing of animals, especially pets, in front of the child. This abuse is usually accompanied by the physical, emotional and verbal abuse of the child, with the child being told that they are bad and blamed for events that have gone wrong in the adult carer's life.

It is not only in the African communities that the possession of a child by an evil spirit is believed. One only has to look at Western literature and art to know that such beliefs flourish in the West.

The flaunting, by the media, of newspaper advertisements for spiritual helpers hints at a sneering racism. What about Mystic Meg and the advertisements for life coaches and personal gurus in the mainstream press? Doesn't this suggest that people of all ethnic backgrounds are looking for help in a similar manner with stresses and difficulties?


Those agencies involved with the protection of children, need to reflect on the mistakes made. Any medical examination of suspected child abuse by a professional who is unfamiliar with ethnic backgrounds different to their own, will require expert advice.
Assumptions based on racial stereotyping, whether positive or negative, about child rearing and how people and communities live their lives have all led to tragic outcomes for children in the past.

Workers and managers must have an understanding of life's complexities, competence to assess risk, and knowledge of what is likely to produce the best and worst outcomes for children and their families.

Elizabeth McAteer is an independent social worker and trainer