Abuse of Children in West Africa: Implications for Social Work Education and Practice

This article discusses the pernicious problem of several abuses of children and the lack of professional social work programmes to address the problem in three West African countries of Ghana, Nigeria and Togo. Despite inaccurate statistical data, available public information reveals an alarming asc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The British journal of social work 2009-10, Vol.39 (7), p.1218-1234
Main Authors: Sossou, Marie-Antoinette, Yogtiba, Joseph A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Child Abuse
Child abuse & neglect
Child labor
child marriage
Child molestation
Child Neglect
child trafficking
Child welfare
Child Welfare Services
Children
Childrens rights
Education
Ghana
human rights abuse
International cooperation
Nigeria
Parents
Poverty
Professional practices
Professional training
Regions
sexual abuse
Social work
Social Work Education
Social Workers
Togo
Violence against children
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Summary:This article discusses the pernicious problem of several abuses of children and the lack of professional social work programmes to address the problem in three West African countries of Ghana, Nigeria and Togo. Despite inaccurate statistical data, available public information reveals an alarming ascendancy of the problem in the region. Abuse and neglect of children in the sub-region has become a very serious issue of violation of human rights, social justice and violence against children, which demands a call for action on behalf of the children. The article outlined the various incidents of child sexual abuse, child trafficking, child marriage, Trokosi and neglect of disabled children in the sub-region. Poverty and traditional cultural practices have been discussed as the main causes of this phenomenon. The implications for social work education, policy, research and practice have been discussed in addition to a call for enforcement of legislations and mass education of citizens in the sub-region.
ISSN:0045-3102
1468-263X
DOI:10.1093/bjsw/bcn033