Abdullah Alhassan, Cudjoe Ebenezer, Frederico Margarita, Jordan Lucy P, Chiu Marcus Y L, Asamoah Edward, Emery Clifton R
Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, HKU Centennial Campus, Hong Kong; Department of Sociology, Haverford College, Haverford, PA, USA.
Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Child Abuse Negl. 2022 May;127:105580. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105580. Epub 2022 Mar 4.
Contrary to evidence from the Western literature, cases of filicide in Ghana are mostly unreported because they are rooted in cultural practices and hidden from the general public.
The purpose of this study was to explore the cultural context of filicide in a rural community. Particularly, to provide an understanding of the spirit child (SC) phenomenon, how the killing of a SC is performed and to provide a general understanding of filicide within a particular context.
Four relatives of a family that engaged in a filicide incident took part in the study. The interviews were conducted in a rural community in Ghana where the incident occurred.
Short written narratives were used to explore the experiences and perceptions of relatives whose family engaged in filicide.
Children with severe deformities are likely to be associated with matters of divinity which gives way for the conceptualization of the SC and its attendant filicide. The findings highlight the critical role of traditional healers in rural communities and the consequences of strong community beliefs and expectations that influence parents to commit filicide.
The study provides directions for child protection workers to address the stigma parents face for having children with severe deformities and to provide education on child welfare legislation.
与西方文献中的证据相反，加纳的杀子案件大多未被报道，因为它们植根于文化习俗，对公众隐瞒。
本研究的目的是探讨一个农村社区中杀子行为的文化背景。特别是，要了解灵童现象，了解杀害灵童的方式，并在特定背景下对杀子行为有一个总体认识。
一个涉及杀子事件的家庭的四名亲属参与了研究。访谈在加纳发生该事件的一个农村社区进行。
使用简短的书面叙述来探索其家庭涉及杀子行为的亲属的经历和看法。
严重畸形的儿童可能与神性问题相关，这为灵童及其伴随的杀子行为的概念化提供了依据。研究结果突出了传统治疗师在农村社区中的关键作用，以及强烈的社区信仰和期望对父母实施杀子行为的影响。
该研究为儿童保护工作者提供了方向，以解决父母因子女严重畸形而面临的耻辱，并提供有关儿童福利立法的教育。
