Child Accusation of Witchcraft – Another Road into Trafficking

Abstract

Child accusation of witchcraft has been the focus of global media reporting however, with limited academic research. Several children removed from trafficking in West Africa that participated in a larger study were accused of witchcraft by Pastors invited for deliverance or revival programs in their towns. Based on these accusations, the children were brutalized by fellow church members, into confessing or revealing the source of their witchcraft powers. Guided by the narratives of affected children, this paper examines why and how children are increasingly accused of witchcraft, the impact on children’s reintegration to their communities, the unexplored link between child witchcraft accusation and child trafficking, while recommending curriculum content on the spiritual-religious-cultural foundations of social work practice.