“Situated” Understandings of Child Abuse and Maltreatment in Uganda

Abstract

Globally, the issue of child abuse has received considerable coverage, and a number of child protection interventions exist in most countries, although their efficacy varies. This chapter argues that the epistemological underpinning of some interventions, particularly in developing countries, is flawed because it assumes a universality of childhoods. Recent thinking in the area of childhood such as the New Sociology of Childhood and sociocultural theory show that childhood is not a universal experience but is socially constructed and a culturally-relative construct embedded in historical and cultural factors. This means that perceptions on what exactly constitutes child abuse vary from one local setting to another. For example, in Western Uganda most local communities socialize children into roles that require them to contribute at household and community levels by taking on age-appropriate responsibilities. Whereas this has equipped many children with life skills, it can also be interpreted by outsiders, particularly from Western Europe and North America, as child labor. Without denying that child labor exists, it is important to distinguish this from socially accepted roles and responsibilities that form the fabric of identity for many Ugandan children. Policymakers and practitioners heavily draw from their own conceptualizations of childhood to plan, implement and evaluate interventions for children, particularly those perceived as vulnerable. The dominant ideology underpinning these interventions is Anglo-centric (North American and Europe) and does not seem to recognize existing capacities and local cultural aspects such as the participation and contribution of children in the day-to-day functioning of their communities. A situated understanding of childhood is required to inform policy, practice and research. There is need for recognition of the diversity of contexts, experiences and the required interventions for child abuse.