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Accusations of spirit possession and witchcraft: Exploring the experiences and outcomes for accused and non-accused children within the family

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posted on 2023-06-10, 06:33 authored by Leethen Bartholomew
Witchcraft and spirit possession (WSP) accusations against children received nationwide attention following the tragic death of Victoria Climbie in 2000.Thereafter, other children have suffered similar fates or experienced significant harm. Many accused children have non-accused siblings who lived with them at the time of the accusation. However, previous research focuses little on their experiences. A starting point for this study was the expectation that the witnessing of accusations and the associated actions and outcomes, would present risk of harm to non-accused siblings too. This research investigates, for the first time, the experiences of non-accused children, alongside the accused. This mixed methods study uses ecological system theory as the substantive framework to support a critical realist approach to exploring its questions and to interpreting findings. It also draws on Mary Douglas’ concepts of purity and danger to illuminate key elements of the ecology of WSP. This allows the analysis to reach beyond the lived experiences actual happenings that participants describe, toward understanding the fundamental (including causal) mechanisms that shape and explain them. Findings from the study contextualise the abuse and surrounding relationships, and also illustrate the resultant impact the accusations had on the children’s life experiences thereafter. They also shed light on shortcomings in the sphere of professional recognition and response. Survey data, to explore and analyse patterns of referral and professional response, was gathered through a Freedom of Information request to children's social care services, police forces in England and from a police force data recording system. This was complemented by in-depth interviews with 22 participants. The non-accused and accused were interviewed using an adapted version of the Biographical Interpretive Narrative Method. Those with family members, professionals, community and faith leaders took a semi-structured approach. Quantitative data was analysed descriptively and qualitative data was analysed thematically. The project’s key findings demonstrated that there are multiple and diverse understandings of WSP, and these are formed by religious and non-religious beliefs, culture and ethnicity. Both non-accused and accused children experienced abuse before the accusation, and the severity of abuse increased after the accusation. Accusations and abuse often took place in socio-economically challenging circumstances, coupled with highly enmeshed hierarchical relationships between the family, faith and other connected communities. Faith leaders in particular, wielded considerable power over family practices. Strikingly, accusations and abuse commonly took place within plain sight of many people within extended families and communities - a finding which challenges established assumptions that such abuse is hidden – and they created deep feelings of being “othered”. Non-accused siblings were subjected to a range of abusive “purification” practices to protect them and others from the accused. However, their experiences of the accusation and its impact on them was not recognised by the accused or by others. It was not possible to distinguish the impact of just the accusations from the impact of prior and surrounding abuse. However, it was clear that their cumulative effects were significantly harmful both for the accused and the non- accused; in particular, their relationships with parents, step-parents and peers were significantly affected. Cultural, religious and ethnic considerations along with the sense of being different, also impacted on the accused and non-accused’s perceptions of and interactions with professionals. Interviews with professionals raised concerns about the influence of their own values and beliefs on their practice and exposed how professional responses were sometimes unhelpful in managing cases appropriately. A key consideration for professionals is the need to be mindful of the experiences of non-accused siblings and not just the accused during their case analyses and when implementing child protection strategies.

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  • Published version

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284.0

Department affiliated with

  • Social Work and Social Care Theses

Qualification level

  • doctoral

Qualification name

  • phd

Language

  • eng

Institution

University of Sussex

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  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2023-03-20

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