Cultural Practices and Child Abuse Among Ethnic Minorities.

“In one case a mother was accusing her 15-year-old daughter of witchcraft and keeping her out of school. Social services were struggling to help because the mother thought they [the practitioners] were sent by the devil. It was only by working with the local church and the police that the mother was won round and eventually allowed her child to access education,”

If you don’t want to isolate families, it’s important to identify the motive of the abuse and consider whether it’s premeditated or simply down to a lack of knowledge. Working with the faith sector may also provide better outcomes for the child than if a purely secular perspective had been used.

Clearly, social workers need proper ­support to resolve these complex cases. But many still receive no training. “You’ve got to know about the African way of life and how it works if you’re going to solve these cases, and If you’re allocated a case and you have no idea about Africans let alone this complicated practice, you are going to ignore it. It goes on all the time, and children die as a result. Something has to be done.”

Children accused of witchcraft – also known as “spirit possession” and “juju” – are alleged to be using supernatural powers to control people or events. A “witch child” may be blamed for causing a disability, breaking up a marriage or starting an illness. Once made, these accusations can be used to justify serious physical, emotional or sexual abuse, frequently in the name of “exorcising” the child. In the few cases researchers have analysed, the perpetrators tend to be carers – often not the natural parents – and the abuse generally takes place in the home.

Families where accusations of witchcraft are putting children at risk must be handled sensitively, Pull has found. Trying to convince carers that their beliefs are wrong or misguided will almost certainly fail, and risks insulting their culture. The best way forward is to work in partnership:

The faith sector may also provide better outcomes for the child than if a purely secular perspective had been used.” – Community Care.

Charities like Afruca are campaigning to make the allegation of witchcraft a criminal offence.

Minority Ethnic Women

“Domestic violence affects women from all ethnic groups, and there is no evidence to suggest that women from some ethnic or cultural communities are any more at risk than others. However, the form the abuse takes may vary; in some communities, for example, domestic violence may be perpetrated by extended family members, or it may include forced marriage, or female genital mutilation. Women from minority ethnic communities may also be more isolated, or may have to overcome religious and cultural pressures, and may be afraid of bringing shame onto their ‘family honour’.

Maybe you are escaping violence from other members of your family (for example, your parents or parents-in-law) rather than, or as well as, your partner or husband. You may be afraid of rejection from your own community if you ask for help. It may be particularly hard for you to admit to having problems with your marriage, and you may experience additional pressure from your extended family to stay with your partner. You may even have been forced or persuaded into marrying him in the first place and if your marriage fails, it may be seen as your fault, and you may be blamed for damaging the family honour.” – Women’s aid

If you are a black or minority ethnic woman trying to escape from domestic violence, SJB Resource offers the much needed help for you to get through the abusive relationship. We are bound by a strict confidential policy so you can be rest assured your case will be dealt with confidentially.

No problem relating to domestic violence or abuse is too small or too big to discuss. Get in touch now and together we’ll get through it!!!

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