Safeguarding Children and Witchcraft Labelling in Social Work

This unique resource is perfect for all professionals who wish to understand witchcraft branding as a contemporary form of child abuse.

Witchcraft accusations against children are occurring ever more frequently in the UK yet continue to be underestimated by social workers and other professionals. This book serves as an invaluable resource, detailing the frequent witchcraft accusations and child abuse within minority communities in the UK.

This second edition emphasises the persistence of witchcraft labelling and highlights new ways of theorising which have emerged, such as contextual safeguarding. Reflective questions, practice dilemmas and relevant links to contemporary policy are provided throughout the book with commentary and reference to updated legislation and professional standards in social work.

Written in an accessible style, it gives a unique and honest insider’s perspective of this form of cruelty and abuse suffered by children, with contemporary research and serious case reviews featured in each chapter. New content for this edition includes:

• Islamic perspectives,
• culturally sensitive contextual safeguarding,
• trauma-informed approaches, and
• BLM/decolonising anti-racist practice

Overall, this is a must-read for social workers and other professionals working with children.

Prospera Tedam has been a social work educator since 2004 and is currently a Professor of Social Work at University College, Dublin (UCD). Her research interests are in the areas of culturally sensitive approaches to working with children and families, anti-oppressive and anti-racist social work education and practice, school social work, and practice learning. Before joining UCD, Prospera was Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Social Wellbeing at the United Arab Emirates University.

Awura Adjoa is the pseudonym chosen by this author in order to maintain her annonymity. Originally from West Africa and now a university graduate, Awura sees it as her duty to share her experiences of childhood which was disrupted as a result of being labelled a witch. She has a renewed commitment to making a difference in the lives of children who may be similarly affected or at risk of this form of abuse in the UK and abroad.