The Practical Sense of Protection: A Discussion Paper on the Reporting of Child Abuse in Africa and whether International Standards Actually Help Keep Children Safe
Abstract:International child protection standards aim to ensure that non‐governmental organisations ‘do no harm’ but the current approach to reporting abuse may actually leave children unprotected and, in some cases, expose them to greater risk. This discussion paper gives voice to concerns raised by local practitioners in Africa and places them within the context of available research in order to stimulate a debate aimed at enhancing the impact of current safeguards. Drawing on systems theory and the work of Pierre Bo… Show more
“…Across Africa, children with albinism also have rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, both concerned with issues of discrimination, empowerment and protection. There is, however, a large question mark over the extent to which international standards in Africa actually keep children safe (Walker‐Simpson, ). Prejudice, abuse and violence against disabled children more generally are rife in Africa (UNICEF, ) and it is not only those with albinism who are targeted.…”
Section: Understanding the Context Of The Attacksmentioning
Babies born with the inherited condition albinism, resulting in reduced melanin pigment in their hair, skin and eyes, are vulnerable in multiple ways in Africa: as children, as visually impaired, as socially ostracised, isolated and excluded, and as potential victims of witchcraft‐related violence targeted for their body parts for use in ‘lucky’ charms thought to bring good fortune. This conceptual review summarises the scarce research on this topic within an integrated framework of otherness (highlighting the ways in which these children differ from others in their group and how this is perceived by themselves and others), watchfulness (the consequences and impact of this very visible difference on families and communities) and agency (what such children themselves and other people can do to respond to these abuses of human rights). The paucity of information on the lives of children with albinism in Africa limits the development of appropriate interventions to support, empower and, most importantly, protect them at this time of danger in the region. This review proposes a conceptual model to act as a platform for research on which to build and enhance our understanding of the lives of children with albinism in sub‐Saharan Africa.
Key Practitioner Messages
Mutilation and killing of people with albinism, particularly children, have increased over recent years.
Very little is known about the physical and psychosocial issues facing children with albinism in the context of threats of assault and attack.
Children with albinism are seen as ‘other’, with the violent context making them and their families watchful and vigilant. This threatens their agency and safety.
“…Across Africa, children with albinism also have rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, both concerned with issues of discrimination, empowerment and protection. There is, however, a large question mark over the extent to which international standards in Africa actually keep children safe (Walker‐Simpson, ). Prejudice, abuse and violence against disabled children more generally are rife in Africa (UNICEF, ) and it is not only those with albinism who are targeted.…”
Section: Understanding the Context Of The Attacksmentioning
Babies born with the inherited condition albinism, resulting in reduced melanin pigment in their hair, skin and eyes, are vulnerable in multiple ways in Africa: as children, as visually impaired, as socially ostracised, isolated and excluded, and as potential victims of witchcraft‐related violence targeted for their body parts for use in ‘lucky’ charms thought to bring good fortune. This conceptual review summarises the scarce research on this topic within an integrated framework of otherness (highlighting the ways in which these children differ from others in their group and how this is perceived by themselves and others), watchfulness (the consequences and impact of this very visible difference on families and communities) and agency (what such children themselves and other people can do to respond to these abuses of human rights). The paucity of information on the lives of children with albinism in Africa limits the development of appropriate interventions to support, empower and, most importantly, protect them at this time of danger in the region. This review proposes a conceptual model to act as a platform for research on which to build and enhance our understanding of the lives of children with albinism in sub‐Saharan Africa.
Key Practitioner Messages
Mutilation and killing of people with albinism, particularly children, have increased over recent years.
Very little is known about the physical and psychosocial issues facing children with albinism in the context of threats of assault and attack.
Children with albinism are seen as ‘other’, with the violent context making them and their families watchful and vigilant. This threatens their agency and safety.
“…In a thoughtful literature review and discussion paper published in Child Abuse Review last year, Karen Walker‐Simpson () explored the reporting of child abuse in Africa. She argued that, while important, standards and protocols do not, in themselves, protect children, and there is an ongoing need for participatory dialogue to ensure that services are child‐centred and relevant to local contexts.…”
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confidence: 99%
“…The work presented by Ajema et al . () highlights the opportunities to develop ‘processes where children, communities and other stakeholders can contribute to both defining protection concerns and creating response mechanisms that are realistic, culturally appropriate and draw on the strengths and capacities which already exist within communities.’ ( Walker‐Simpson, , p. 260)…”
“…It questions the usefulness and validity of attempts to impose international standards (Walker-Simpson, 2017), and how different models can result in different responses to children (Berrick et al, 2017). This special 'Different definitions of child abuse are applied' 'The differences found may be due to differences in culture or context' 'A cross-country comparison of child welfare systems and workers' responses' issue highlights how difficult cross-national studies are to conduct.…”
mentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Secondly, it seems as if governments should be aware of cultural context in child protection to ensure culturally appropriate reforms, policy and legislation (Lin, 2017;van der Kooij et al, 2017), as even corporal punishment seems to be more related to culture and context than other socio-economic factors (Ellonen et al, 2017). Lastly, pilot studies where a participatory action research approach is adopted could be useful (Walker-Simpson, 2017) to promote culturally acceptable child protection outcomes.…”
Child maltreatment is a complex global problem which remains difficult to study and address. Over the last decade, we have seen considerable interest by governments globally in learning the lessons from different countries and comparing experiences as systems are adapted and refined. International organisations such as the World Health Organization and UNICEF are increasingly prioritising activities to protect children from harm, with important reports on violence against children and strategies for preventing child maltreatment (UNICEF, 2014; World Health Organization, 2002, 2006. In turn, we have begun to see a growing body of literature that has started to provide data and insight into areas such as prevalence rates and developing models of safeguarding as they emerge across an expanding range of countries (e.g. Fang et al., 2015;Hutchinson et al., 2015;Leung et al., 2008;Schmid and Patel, 2016;Sidebotham, 2016).However, the dearth of international literature specifically comparing approaches to safeguarding children demonstrates how challenging it is to undertake research in this field and draw cross-national comparisons of models of child protection (Munro et al., 2011). The difficulty has largely arisen from a lack of common definitions and inconsistency in the way in which child maltreatment is classified, reported, recorded and managed. Yet, we remain interested in this as we also know that the type of model adopted within a country can have a significant impact upon the response subsequently made to children with safeguarding needs. As developing countries look to borrow or import models from overseas, questions are raised concerning cultural adaptation, encompassing the broader debate concerning universalism, indigenisation, the dangers of professional imperialism and the place of international child protection standards.This special issue of Child Abuse Review presents a series of papers which demonstrate how different models of child protection have been developed and implemented in different countries and consider the implications for the treatment and protection of children. It provides examples of cross-national learning and examines the policymaking context behind child protection models and where such learning has not always had positive outcomes for children. The papers cover a range of different approaches or models of child protection. Some of the papers adopt a qualitative approach to explore aspects
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