TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2023//
TI  - The protective effects of the collective cultural value of abiriwatia against child neglect: results from a nationally representative survey
JO  - Child abuse and neglect
A1  - Abdullah, Alhassan
A1  - Jordan, Lucy P.
A1  - Emery, Clifton R.
SP  - e106068
EP  - e106068
VL  - 138
IS  - 
N2  - BACKGROUND: Over the past 20 years, there has been a growing commitment to strengthen community norms-to foster informal support for families and enhance community commitment to protect children from child abuse and neglect. The current study examined the relationship between child neglect and normative interpretations of the dominant cultural value of abiriwatia in Ghana. It was hypothesized that the norms of abiriwatia were associated with lower incidence of child neglect. <br><br>METHODS: We used a random, stratified four-stage cluster design to select a nationally representative sample of 1100 female caregivers in Ghana. Norms of the cultural value of abiriwatia were measured using a new 11-item Likert scale questionnaire developed by the authors, and child neglect was measured using the Conflict Tactics Scale. <br><br>RESULTS: Factor analysis of the abiriwatia scale retained three factors, community authority, collective childcare, and lineage, as the core norms of abiriwatia. We found that the abiriwatia norm of community authority was associated with fewer instances of child neglect. Norms of community responsibility for childcare were negatively associated with child neglect frequency (B = -0.31, p < .05). However, the relationship between the abiriwatia norm of lineage and child neglect was positive (B = 0.24, p < .05). <br><br>CONCLUSION: The protective associations among the norms of community authority and collective childcare and child neglect suggest that traditional practices that strengthen and enforce the collective norms of abiriwatia, including storytelling, family byelaws, community durbars (community meetings), taboos, and reciprocal farming activities (nnoboa) could be protective against neglect.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0145-2134
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106068
ID  - ref1
ER  -