Child Maltreatment in Rural Communities

Issues concerning child maltreatment have received less attention in traditional or rural communities in the developing world. Rural communities in Ghana are no exception. The nature and extend of child abuse in rural Ghana, thus far, received little attention, and there is paucity of empirical data on its occurrence. This may be due to such cultural factors as the belief in the absolute authority of the elderly and the need to protect the privacy of families. As a result, such communities become the breeding ground for child maltreatment. The Author holds a BA (Hons) Psychology and Information Studies from the University of Ghana and a Master of Philosophy (Developmental Psychology) from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway as well as Master of Philosophy in Cognitive Neuropsychology from the University of Oslo.

MARK KWAME ANANGA, BA (Hons, Legon) MPhil (NTNU) MPhil (Oslo)Mark Kwame Ananga joined Marketing Support Consultancy (MSC), a Marketing and Social Research Group in Accra, Ghana in January 2011 as a Research Executive. Prior to joining MSC Mr. Ananga was an Adjunct Lecturer with the Department of Psychology and Human Development.