Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T04:49:16.120Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Culture and Nondisclosure of Child Sexual Abuse in Ghana: A Theoretical and Empirical Exploration

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 December 2018

Kofi E. Boakye
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The phenomenon of child sexual abuse has been widely acknowledged across many societies, including Ghana. Efforts to address this problem in Ghana have yielded limited success because this type of child abuse is severely underreported. This study explores the relevance of three cultural factors, namely, patriarchal nuances, (child) rape myth acceptance, and a “collective shame problem,” to the understanding of the problem of nondisclosure of child sexual abuse in Ghana. Evidence from an exploratory study provides support for the importance of these factors. The findings are discussed and the need for further research highlighted.

Type
Articles
Information
Law & Social Inquiry , Volume 34 , Issue 4 , Fall 2009 , pp. 951 - 979
Copyright
Copyright © American Bar Foundation, 2009 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

References

Abel, Gene. G., Becker, Judith V., Cunningham‐Rathner, Jerry, Mittelman, Mary, and Rouleau, Joanne L. 1988. Multiple Paraphiliac Diagnoses among Sex Offenders. Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry and Law 16:153–68.Google Scholar
Abotchie, Chris. 1996. Social Control in Traditional Southern Eweland of Ghana. Accra, Ghana: Ghana Universities Press.Google Scholar
Akyeampong, Albert K. 2002. Reconceptualising Teacher Education in the sub‐Saharan African Context. Journal of International Co-operation in Education 5 (1): 11–30.Google Scholar
Annor, Hannah. 2006. Getting Justice for Defiled Children. Ghana News Agency, February 28. http://www.ghanaweb.net/GhanaHomePage//features/artikel.php?ID=100189&comment=1872065 (accessed July 6, 2008).Google Scholar
Amankwah, Ama Achiaa. 2009. Ghana: Red Alert‐Pedophiles All Over. Public Agenda, March 30. http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/200903301554.html (accessed April 15, 2009).Google Scholar
Armstrong, Alice. 1998. Consent and Compensation: The Sexual Abuse of Girls in Zimbabwe. In Law, Culture, Tradition and Children's Rights in Eastern and Southern Africa, ed. Ncube, Welshman, 129–49. Aldershot, UK: Dartmouth.Google Scholar
Bedarf, Abril R. 1995. Examining Sex Offender Community Notification Laws. California Law Review 83 (3): 885–939.Google Scholar
Boakye, Kofi E. 2006. Attitudes toward Sex Crime: A Test of the Feminist and Attribution Theories in Ghana. MPhil. thesis, University of Cambridge.Google Scholar
Boakye, Kofi E. 2009. Attitudes Toward Rape and Victims of Rape: A Test of the Feminist Theory in Ghana. Journal of Interpersonal Violence 24 (10): 1633–51.Google Scholar
Bowman, Cynthia G. 2007. Child sex abuse within the family in sub‐Saharan Africa: The inadequacy of current legal and mental health approaches. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Association of Law and Mental Health, June 25, in Padua, Italy.Google Scholar
Bowman, Cynthia G., and Akua, Kuenyehia. eds. 2003. Women and Law in Sub‐Saharan Africa. Accra, Ghana: Sedco.Google Scholar
Brownmiller, Susan. 1975. Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape. New York: Simon and Schuster.Google Scholar
Burt, Martha R. 1980. Cultural Myths and Supports for Rape. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 38:217–30.Google Scholar
Caldwell, John C. 1968. Population Growth and Family Change in Africa. Canberra: Australia National University Press.Google Scholar
Coker‐Appiah, Dorcas, and Cusack, Kathy. 1999. Breaking the Silence and Challenging the Myth of Violence against Women and Children in Ghana: Report of a National Study on Violence. Accra, Ghana: Gender Studies and Human Rights Documentation Centre.Google Scholar
Collings, Steven J. 1997. Development, Reliability, and Validity of the Child Sexual Abuse Myth Scale. Journal of Interpersonal Violence 12 (5): 665–74.Google Scholar
Collings, Steven J. 2003. Child Sexual Abuse Myth Acceptance among Aspirant, Trainee, and Registered Psychologists in Durban, South Africa. Social Behavior and Personality 31 (8): 835–42.Google Scholar
Collings, Steven J. 2006. Attributing Blame to Incest Victims: The Mediating Role of Child Sexual Abuse Myths and Stereotypes. Acta Criminologica 19 (3): 1–10.Google Scholar
Conte, Jon R. 1991. Nature of Sexual Offences against Children. In Clinical Approaches to Sexual Offenders and Their Victims, ed. Hollin, Clive and Howells, Kevin., 11–34. Chichester, UK: John Wiley and Sons.Google Scholar
Smith, Daniel W., Letourneau, Elizabeth J., Saunders, Benjamin E., Kilpatrick, Dean G., Resnick, Heidi S., and Best, Connie L. 2000. Delay in Disclosure of Childhood Rape: Results from a National Survey. Child Abuse & Neglect 24 (2): 273–87.Google Scholar
Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit. 2005. Official Statistics 2002–2005. DOVVSU Head Office. Accra: Ghana.Google Scholar
Eaton, Liberty, and Louw, Johann. 2000. Culture and Self in South Africa: Individualism‐Collectivism Predictions. Journal of Social Psychology 14 (2): 210–17.Google Scholar
Ellis, Lee. 1989. Theories of Rape: Inquiries into the Causes of Sexual Aggression. New York: Hemisphere Publishing Corporation.Google Scholar
Finkelhor, David. 1994. Current Information on the Scope and Nature of Child Sexual Abuse. The Future of Children 4 (2): 31–53.Google Scholar
Gelles, Richard J. 1976. Demythologizing Child Abuse. Family Coordinator 25 (2): 135–41.Google Scholar
Ghana News Agency. 2006. Public Warned Against Settling Sexual Abuse Cases at Home. October 18. http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage//NewsArchive/printnews.php?ID=112351 (accessed July 16, 2009).Google Scholar
Gil, David G. 1970. Violence against Children: Physical Child Abuse in the United States. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Goldman, Juliette D. G., and Padayachi, Usha K. 2000. Some Methodological Problems in Estimating Incidence and Prevalence in Child Sexual Abuse Research. Journal of Sex Research 37 (4): 305–14.Google Scholar
Guma, Mthobeli, and Henda, Nomvo. 2004. The Socio‐Cultural Context of Child Abuse: A Betrayal of Trust. In Sexual Abuse of Young Children in Southern Africa, ed. Richter, Linda, Dawes, Andrew, and Higson‐Smith, Craig, 95–109. Cape Town: HSRC.Google Scholar
Griffin, Susan. 1971. Rape: The All‐American Crime. Ramparts September, 26–35.Google Scholar
Gyekye, Kwame. 1996. African Cultural Values. Accra, Ghana: Sankofa Publishing Company.Google Scholar
Hofstede, Geert. 1980. Culture's Consequences. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Howard, Judith A. 1984. The “Normal” Victim: The Effects of Gender Stereotypes on Reactions to Victims. Social Psychology Quarterly 47 (3): 270–81.Google Scholar
Jackson, Elizabeth F., Akweongo, Patricia, Sakeah, Evelyn, Hodgson, Abraham, Asuru, Rofina, and Phillips, James F. 2003. Women's denial of having experienced female genital cutting in northern Ghana: Explanatory factors and consequences for analysis of survey data. Working Paper, No. 178, Population Council, Policy Research Division, Accra, Ghana.Google Scholar
Jewkes, Rachel. 2004. Child Sexual Abuse and HIV Infection. In The Sexual Abuse of Young Children in Southern Africa, ed. Richter, Linda, Dawes, Andrew, and Higson‐Smith, Craig, 130–42. Cape Town: HSRC.Google Scholar
Jewkes, Rachel, Levin, Jonathan, Mbananga, Nolwazi, and Bradshaw, Debbie. 2002. Rape of Girls in South Africa. e Lancet 359:319–20.Google Scholar
Jewkes, Rachel, Penn‐Kekana, Loveday, and Rose‐Junius, Hetty. 2005. “If They Rape Me, I Can't Blame Them”: Reflections on Gender in the Social Context of Child Rape in South Africa and Namibia. Social Science and Medicine 61:1809–20.Google Scholar
Jewkes, Rachel, Sen, Purna, and Garcia‐Moreno, Claudia. 2002. Sexual Violence. In World Report on Violence and Health, ed. Krug, Etienne G., Dahlberg, Linda L., Mercy, James A., Zwi, Anthony B., and Lozano, Rafael, 146–83. Geneva: World Health Organization.Google Scholar
Joy News. 2006. 7‐Year Old Defiled, Diagnosed with HIV, January 18. http://www.myjoyonline.com/ghananews.asp?p=21&a=21040&ofact=1&ofmsgid=92629&ofdisp=2&ofpage=1&ofrand=42849#openforum (site no longer available).Google Scholar
Kandiyoti, Deniz. 1988. Bargaining with Patriarchy. Gender & Society 2:274–89.Google Scholar
Koss, Mary P. 1993. Detecting the Scope of Rape: A Review of Prevalence Research Methods. Journal of Interpersonal Violence 48 (2): 198–222.Google Scholar
Liddle, A. Mark. 1993. Gender, Desire and Child Sexual Abuse: Accounting for the Male Majority. Theory, Culture & Society 10 (4): 103–26.Google Scholar
Lithur, Nana O. 2004. Destigmatising Abortion: Expanding Community Awareness of Abortion as a Reproductive Health Issue in Ghana. African Journal of Reproductive Health 8 (1): 70–74.Google Scholar
Lösel, Friedrich, and Schmucker, Martin. 2005. The Effectiveness of Treatment for Sexual Offenders: A Comparative Meta‐Analysis. Journal of Experimental Criminology 1:117–46.Google Scholar
MacKinnon, Catherine. 1989. Toward a Feminist Theory of the State. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Mager, Anne Kelk. 1999. Gender and the Making of a Southern African Bantustan: A Social History of the Ciskei, 1945–1959. Oxford, UK: James Currey.Google Scholar
Pipe, Margaret‐Ellen, Lamb, Michael E., Orbeah, Yael, and Cederborg, Ann‐Christin. 2007. Child Sexual Abuse: Disclosure, Delay, and Denial. London: Lawrence Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Mathiesen, Thomas. 1990. Prison on Trial: A Critical Assessment. London: Sage.Google Scholar
Menkiti, Afeanyi A. 1984. Person and Community in the African Traditional Thought. In African Philosophy: An Introduction, ed. Wright, Richard A., 171–80. Lanham, MD: University Press of America.Google Scholar
Meursing, Karla, Vos, Theo, Coutinho, Dette, Moyo, Michael, Mpofu, Sipho, Oneko, Olola, Mundy, Verity, Dube, Simukai, Mahlangu, Thembeni, and Sibindi, Flora. 1995. Child Rape in Matabeleland, Zimbabwe. Social Science and Medicine 41:1693–704.Google Scholar
Millet, Kate. 1970. Sexual Politics. New York: Ballantine.Google Scholar
Ncube, Welshman, ed. 1998. Law, Culture, Tradition and Children's Rights in Eastern and Southern Africa Aldershot, UK: Dartmouth.Google Scholar
Oduro, George K. T. 2008. Promoting Learning in Ghanaian Primary Schools. In Leadership for Learning: International Perspectives, ed. MacBeath, John and Cheng, Y. C., 101–12. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.Google Scholar
Oyserman, Daphne, Coon, Heather M., and Kemmelmeier, Markus. 2002. Rethinking Individualism and Collectivism: Evaluation of Theoretical Assumptions and Meta‐Analyses. Psychological Bulletin 128 (1): 3–72.Google Scholar
Oyserman, Daphne, and Lee, Spike W. S. 2008. Does Culture Influence What and How We Think? Effects of Priming Individualism and Collectivism. Psychological Bulletin 132 (2): 311–42.Google Scholar
Pappoe, Martilder E., and Ardayfio‐Schandorf, Elizabeth. 1998. The Dimension and Consequences of Violence against Women in Ghana. Study Report I, Ghana Commission of Women's Health.Google Scholar
Payne, Diana L., Lonsway, Kimberly A., and Fitzgerald, Louise F. 1999. Rape Myth Acceptance: Exploration of Its Structure and Its Measurement Using the Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale. Journal of Research in Personality 33:27–68.Google Scholar
Pitcher, Graeme J., and Bowley, Douglas M. G. 2002. Infant Rape in South Africa. Lancet 359 (9303): 274–75.Google Scholar
Plotnikoff, Joyce, and Woolfson, Richard. 2000. Where Are They Now?: An Evaluation of Sex Offender Registration in England and Wales. London: Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate.Google Scholar
Portes, Alejandro. 1998. Social Capital: Its Origins and Applications in Modern Sociology. Annual Review of Sociology 24:1–24.Google Scholar
Richter, Linda, Dawes, Andrew, and Higson‐Smith, Craig, eds. 2004. The Sexual Abuse of Young Children in Southern Africa. Cape Town: HSRC.Google Scholar
Russell, Diana E. H. 1986. The Secret Trauma: Incest in the Lives of Girls and Women. New York: Basic Books.Google Scholar
Russell, Diana E. H., and Bolen, Rebecca M. 2000. The Epidemic of Rape and Child Sexual Abuse in the United States. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Russo, Nancy Felipe. 1999. Feminist Research: Questions and Methods. Psychology of Women Quarterly 23:i–iv.Google Scholar
Smith, Daniel W., Letourneau, Elizabeth J., Saunders, Benjamin E., Kilpatrick, Dean G., Resnick, Heidi S., and Best, Connie L. 2000. Delay in Disclosure of Childhood Rape: Results from a National Survey. Child Abuse & Neglect 24 (2): 273–87.Google Scholar
Staller, Karen M., and Nelson‐Gardell, Debra. 2005. “A Burden in Your Heart”: Lessons of Disclosure from Female Preadolescent and Adolescent Survivors of Sexual Abuse. Child Abuse and Neglect 29 (12): 1415–32.Google Scholar
Tankebe, Justice. 2008. Colonialism, Legitimation, and Policing in Ghana. International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice 36:67–84.Google Scholar
Temkin, Jennifer. 2004. Rape and the Legal Process. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Triandis, Harry C., McCusker, Christopher, and Hui, Harry C. 1990. Multimethod Probes of Individualism and Collectivism. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 59 (5): 1006–20.Google Scholar
Ullman, Sarah E. 2003. Social Reactions to Child Sexual Abuse Disclosures: A Critical Review. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse 12 (1): 89–121.Google Scholar
United Nations Report. 2006. World Report on Violence against Children. Geneva: United Nations Publishing Services.Google Scholar
Ward, Colleen. 1988. The Attitudes toward Rape Victims Scale: Construction, Validation and Cross‐Cultural Applicability. Psychology of Women Quarterly 12:127–46.Google Scholar
Ward, Colleen. 1995. Attitudes toward Rape: Feminist and Social Psychological Perspectives. London: Sage.Google Scholar
World Health Organization. 2005. Multi‐Country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence. Geneva: World Health Organization.Google Scholar
Wiradu, Kwesi, and Gyekye, Kwame, eds. 1992. Person and Community: Ghanaian Philosophical Studies. Washington, DC: Council of Research in Values and Philosophy, UNESCO.Google Scholar

Statutes Cited

African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (The Banjul Charter), OAU Doc. CAB/LEG/67/3 rev. 5, 21 I.L.M. 58 (1982). http://www.africa‐union.org/root/au/Documents/Treaties/Text/Banjul%20Charter.pdf (accessed July 27, 2009).Google Scholar
African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, OAU Doc. CAB/LEG/24.9/49 (1990). http://www.africa‐union.org/root/au/Documents/Treaties/Text/A.%20C.%20ON%20THE%20RIGHT%20AND%20WELF%20OF%20CHILD.pdf (accessed July 27, 2009).Google Scholar
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, General Assembly Resolution 34/180 of December 18, 1979 (entry into force September 3, 1981, in accordance with Article 27(1)). http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/e1cedaw.htm (accessed July 27, 2009).Google Scholar
Children's Act, 560 of 1998 (Ghana). Government Printer, Assembly Press, Accra, GPC/A1004/12/79.Google Scholar
Criminal Code (Amendment) Act, 554 of 1998. Incorporated in the Ghanaian Criminal Code Act, No. 29 of 1960 (Ghana). Government Printer, Assembly Press, Accra, GPC/A389/300/5/99.Google Scholar
Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, 1992. Minsitry of Justice.Google Scholar
Domestic Violence Act No. 732 of 2007 (Ghana). Government Printer, Assembly Press, Accra, GPC/A147//300/4/2007. http://www.mowacghana.net/files/dva.pdf (accessed August 21, 2009).Google Scholar
Ghanaian Criminal Code Act, No. 29 of 1960 (Ghana). Government Printer, Assembly Press, Accra, GPC/A389/300/5/99.Google Scholar
Juvenile Justice Act, No. 653 of 2003 (Ghana). Government Printer, Assembly Press, Accra, GPC/A729/300/9/2003.Google Scholar
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, General Assembly Resolution 44/25 of November 20, 1989. http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm (accessed July 27, 2009).Google Scholar