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.