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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
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Results for witchcraft
5 results foundAuthor: Briggs, Stephen Title: Safeguarding Children's Rights: exploring issues of witchcraft and spirit possession in London's African communities Summary: Trust for London created the Safeguarding Children’s Rights initiative to invest in community-based work tackling child abuse linked to beliefs in witchcraft and spirit possession. This is the summary of an independent evaluation, undertaken by the Centre for Social Work Research. Key findings include: 1. Belief in spirit possession and witchcraft is widespread amongst many African communities but current knowledge indicates that the incidence of abuse linked to such beliefs appears to be low; 2. These beliefs occupy a broad spectrum, and the effects range from harmless to harmful. Belief in spirit possession and witchcraft is not of itself evidence of maltreatment; 3. Where there is abuse of children accused of possession or witchcraft, this abuse can be understood using one or more of the four identified forms of child abuse: physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect. Assessing for physical and emotional abuse is particularly important; 4. Using the existing child protection framework is effective when assessing cases where children have been accused of witchcraft and spirit possession; 5. Knowledge and understanding of culture and faith is critical to effective assessments of harm undertaken by professionals in this field. However, culture and faith should not be used as an excuse to abuse and must never take precedence over children’s rights; 6. Faith organisations have a critical role in many African communities, where poverty, inequality and lack of access to key resources can impact negatively on children. While many offer help and support, some unscrupulous faith leaders are in a position to exploit vulnerable individuals; 7. Community organisations can be an important source of advice and support to London’s African communities, and may counterbalance the power of some faith organisations; 8. Engaging communities in discussion and debate about human rights can be used as a touchstone for change. The promotion of young people as agents of change is particularly powerful; 9. Community-led approaches to promoting child safeguarding are scarce and have been shown to be critical in engaging socially excluded communities; and in changing attitudes and behaviour; 10. Faith leaders have a pivotal role to play in developing children’s rights within African communities. A shared faith has been very valuable in engaging these leaders – cutting across ethnic and national boundaries; 11. Training has been effective in beginning to address a lack of knowledge of child protection principles and practice among many African faith leaders in London; 12. A broader approach – promoting child safeguarding and well-being – is more effective for engaging communities and churches than a narrow focus on witchcraft and spirit possession. This also led to improvements in wider child protection including through changed practice and disclosures. Details: London: Trust for London, 2011. 78p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 22, 2012 at http://www.trustforlondon.org.uk/Safeguarding%20final%20report.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.trustforlondon.org.uk/Safeguarding%20final%20report.pdf Shelf Number: 124234 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (U.K.)Child ProtectionFaith-Based OrganizationsJuvenile VictimsMinority Communities, AfricanWitchcraft |
Author: Simon, Antonia Title: A Rapid Literature Review of Evidence on Child Abuse Linked to Faith or Belief Summary: In early 2011, following a consultation on child abuse relating to a belief in witchcraft and spirit possession, a working group was set up by the DfE to understand better the principal issues. It was agreed that stronger coordination of activity was needed both nationally and locally to raise awareness, develop the skills of practitioners and to support communities themselves in combating and resisting such abuse. Since then, the working group has worked at both national and regional levels to produce a national action plan for England to tackle child abuse linked to faith or belief (DfE, 2012). The action plan focuses on four themes: engaging communities; empowering practitioners; supporting victims and witnesses; and communicating key messages. The DfE requested that the Childhood Wellbeing Research Centre (CWRC) conduct a small-scale review of previous research in this area. This would be used to help inform future policy. Details: London: Childhood Wellbeing Research Centre, Institute of Education, 2012. 42p. Source: Internet Resource: CWRC Working Paper No. 15: Accessed November 2, 2012 at: https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/RSG/AllPublications/Page1/CWRC-00115-2012 Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/RSG/AllPublications/Page1/CWRC-00115-2012 Shelf Number: 126850 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (U.K.)Child ProtectionReligion and AbuseRitual AbuseSatanic AbuseWitchcraft |
Author: Pelgrim, Riekje Title: Witchcraft and Policing: South Africa Police Service attitudes towards witchcraft and witchcraft-related crime in the Northern Province Summary: In the last two decades, the Northern Province of South Africa has experienced hundreds of so-called witch attacks: violent assaults in which individuals or groups of people are accused of practicing witchcraft. Since the mid 1980s, the attacking and killing of people believed to be witches has become an increasingly problematic social issue in this part of the world. Narrations of witchcraft related violence have been numerous in the press, police reports and the academic world. South African newspapers and television have covered the issue of witchcraft related problems extensively: a quick review of backdated articles and television programmes reflects the ever-growing social problem caused by the belief in witchcraft. During my six-month fieldwork period in the Northern Province, both The Mirror and the Soutpansberger, two local weekly newspapers, carried on average one witchcraft related article per edition. Even the Mail & Guardian and the Sowetan, national newspapers of substantial influence and objective reputation, have published numerous articles dealing with witchcraft related issues. Additionally, police reports of witchcraft related crime have been numerous. Statistics show that between 1990 and 2001, the number of witchcraft related cases has increased from an estimated 50 cases per year to over 1300 a year. As a result, special attention has been paid to this type of crime: the South Africa Police Service (SAPS) has been collecting statistical data and organising rallies and workshops. In this manner, the police have tried to raise awareness regarding the serious consequences of this type of crime and hope to diminish it. Awakened by these statistics, the social unrest and the subsequent media attention during the late 1980s and the early 1990s, the new national ANC government felt that it needed to address this situation. In an attempt to combat the ever-growing problems caused by the belief in witchcraft, it appointed a special research committee in 1995: the Commission of Inquiry into the Witchcraft Violence and Ritual Murders in the Northern Province of South Africa. Through means of unstructured interviews this commission - headed by Professor Ralushai - conducted extensive research regarding the subject of witchcraft and its related problems. The overall findings however were very limited and disappointing due to, inter alia, a complete lack of theoretical foundation and ambiguous methodology. Despite the fact that some recommendations in the fields of education and legislation were made, no constructive steps were ever taken and, like so many other research reports, the Ralushai findings ended up on a government shelf collecting dust. Compared to the media, the SAPS and the national government, the academic world has seriously fallen behind in its attention and concern for contemporary witchcraft related problems in the Northern Province of South Africa. Most scientific studies regarding witchcraft beliefs and their related social consequences are exceptionally dated. Although anthropologists studied the general topic of witchcraft beliefs extensively during the twentieth century, most data regarding the belief in witchcraft in the Northern Province dates back to fieldwork that was conducted during the 1930s and 1940s (Niehaus 2001: 1). Particular ethnic groups, such as the Sotho, the Tswana and Lovedu, were studied in those years by scholars like Junod and Krige, and their studies are to this day regarded as blueprints for Northern Province witchcraft beliefs. Although more recent data regarding these beliefs has been provided by scholars like Hammond-Tooke, Ritchken, Stadler and Delius during the 1980 and even 1990s, real in-depth anthropological studies regarding Northern Province witchcraft beliefs and especially their serious social consequences in the Northern Province leave much to be desired. In an effort to both fill this theoretical gap regarding witchcraft beliefs in the Northern Province, and to collect empirical data regarding specific witchcraft accusations, a research programme named 'Crossing Witchcraft Barriers in South Africa' was set up in 1997 as part of the South Africa-Netherlands Research Programme on Alternatives in Development (SANPAD). The aim of SANPAD programmes has been to stimulate alternative academic research in South Africa in the area of cross-fields of developments. The research project 'Crossing Witchcraft Barriers in South Africa' was based at the University of the North in South Africa and supported by the University of Utrecht in The Netherlands. Its aims were to establish an interdisciplinary study of witchcraft beliefs and witchcraft accusations in South Africa. At first, this programme was carried out by about a dozen senior students and junior staff from the University of the North in cooperation with members of the University of Utrecht. Researchers from different disciplinary backgrounds - sociology, psychology, anthropology, theology and religious studies - were engaged in fieldwork to find out from all parties involved what exactly happens in specific witchcraft related cases, and what their background and consequences are. As part of this project, I was invited as the only non-South African to partake in this research project in the Northern Province. During two periods of three months in 2001, I conducted research regarding the topic of the belief in witchcraft and in particular its relation to policing and legislation. Before going into the finer details of my research however, I will describe the problems caused by the Northern Province witchcraft belief, in order to contextualise the research question. Details: Leiden, NETH: African Studies Centre, 2003. 170p. Source: Internet Resource: African Studies Centre Research Report 72 / 2003 : Accessed September 28, 2016 at: https://openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/bitstream/handle/1887/12920/ASC-075287668-076-01.pdf?sequence=2%20- Year: 2003 Country: South Africa URL: https://openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/bitstream/handle/1887/12920/ASC-075287668-076-01.pdf?sequence=2%20- Shelf Number: 146159 Keywords: Criminal LawPolicingViolenceWitchcraft |
Author: Roxburgh, Shelagh Title: Witchcraft, Violence and Mediation in Africa: a comparative study of Ghana and Cameroon Summary: Security, insecurity and protection are all aspects of power relations. This thesis explores how witchcraft - related violence may be addressed through the discipline of political science. A comparative analysis investigates the effectiveness of four actors’ mediation efforts: the state, religious organizations, NGOs and traditional authorities that are typically unable to acknowledge the reality of witchcraft and or address experiences of it, nor answer the needs of those seeking redress. The history of anthropological works in Africa have been justifiably critiqued for dismissing or ridiculing African traditional religions and beliefs. Though the intention to avoid insult is commendable, it is not reason enough to overlook important questions and to evade debate. Details: Ottawa: University of Ottawa, 2014. 253p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed September 28, 2016 at: https://idl-bnc.idrc.ca/dspace/handle/10625/53279 Year: 2014 Country: Africa URL: https://idl-bnc.idrc.ca/dspace/handle/10625/53279 Shelf Number: 140480 Keywords: ViolenceWitchcraft |
Author: Abodunrin, Hammed Title: A Survey of Violence-Related Deaths in Urue-Offong/Oruko and Udung Uko Local Government Areas in Akwa Ibom State (2006-2014) Summary: This paper highlights violent deaths in two local government areas (LGAs) in Nigeria: Urue Offong/Okubo and Udung Uko, both in Awka-Ibom State. Primary data collected using key informant interviews (KIIs), 40 copies of a questionnaire, and focus group discussions (FGDs) were analysed. The respondents considered their LGAs to be generally peaceful and blamed violent incidents on continual deprivation, youth agitation, and skirmishes experienced as part of everyday life. During the period under study (2006-2014), the main causes of violent deaths in Urue Offong/Okubo and Udung Uko were cult attacks, witchcraft, and motor accidents because of bad roads and inadequate education on traffic laws. Although the predominant religion of the area is Christianity, traditional beliefs still have a strong hold over the populace; and accusations of witchcraft sometimes resulted in the killing of persons considered to be a source of misfortune. The reasons for the non-coverage of violence by the national media in the two LGAs include the following: accessibility problems, fear of attack, lethargic attitude to volunteering information, dearth of published official records, and inadequate personnel. Other factors are the irregular salaries of journalists, the presence of many local tabloids, the poor infrastructural facilities, and illiteracy. Also worthy of note is that security operatives in the areas under review were insufficient and uncooperative in releasing information. Details: Ibadan, Nigeria: FRA Institute of African Studies , University of Ibadan 2015. 29p. Source: Internet Resource: IFRA-Nigeria working papers series, no. 53; Accessed April 11, 2017 at: http://www.nigeriawatch.org/media/html/WP15Abodunrin-Dotun.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Nigeria URL: http://www.nigeriawatch.org/media/html/WP15Abodunrin-Dotun.pdf Shelf Number: 144790 Keywords: CultsHomicidesViolenceViolent CrimeWitchcraft |