2009/01/01 by Kofi E. Boakye · 95 citations
Medicine · Psychology · Social Sciences · #Child Abuse and Trauma #Child abuse #Child sexual abuse #Criminology #Developmental psychology #Environmental health #Exploratory research #Intimate Partner and Family Violence #Law #Medicine #Poison control #Political science #Psychology #Relevance (law) #Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies #Sexual abuse #Shame #Social psychology #Social science #Sociology #Suicide prevention
paper · open access · doi:10.1111/j.1747-4469.2009.01170.x
published in Law & Social Inquiry 34(04), 951-979 (Cambridge University Press)
openalex publication_date 2009/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/08
The phenomenon of child sexual abuse has been widely acknowledged across many societies, including Ghana. Efforts to address this problem in Ghana have yielded limited success because this type of child abuse is severely underreported. This study explores the relevance of three cultural factors, namely, patriarchal nuances, (child) rape myth acceptance, and a “collective shame problem,” to the understanding of the problem of nondisclosure of child sexual abuse in Ghana. Evidence from an exploratory study provides support for the importance of these factors. The findings are discussed and the need for further research highlighted.