Discipline or Abuse: What happens when ‘Discipline’ becomes torture? A 12-Year-Old’s harrowing tale

In a chilling tale from Ghana, a 12-year-old faced unimaginable torture for taking a key and money that did not belong to her. Akosua Mansa, whose real name is withheld for her safety, endured a metal key dragged across her body, leaving her with visible scars and pain that would last a lifetime. Her stepmother faced arrest and imprisonment for four months, for causing these permanent injuries to a child.

This is not an isolated incident, but rather a widespread epidemic in Ghanaian homes and classrooms. Shockingly, 94% of children aged 1 to 14 experience physical punishment or psychological abuse from those meant to protect them. Ghana has the highest rate of such violence globally.

The UNICEF data reveals that over 1 in 10 teenage girls aged 15 to 19 have suffered sexual violence. From 2016 to 2024, cyber tip line reports related to child sexual abuse materials in Ghana surged from 750 to 23,626. The 2023 Ghana Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey found that 22% of children aged 1 to 14 experienced violent discipline, including physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.

Chillingly, 25 child homicides linked to corporal punishment have been identified between 2007 and 2024, with four deaths occurring in school settings and 21 in domestic environments.

The legal framework allows for such violence. Article 13(2) of Ghana’s Children’s Act 1998 permits "justifiable and reasonable correction" of a child, while Article 41 of the Criminal Offences Act 1960 grants parents, guardians, or schoolmasters the right to use force for correction. This "reasonable correction" defense creates a legal loophole where violence against children is normalized, and perpetrators often escape punishment.

Though the Children’s Act prohibits "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment", the "reasonable correction" defense allows violence to continue unchecked.

Education is suffering due to this cycle of violence. Students like Junior High School student Hassan Mansour learn to hate school and fear adults when they are beaten. A senior high school student, speaking anonymously, described how her teacher's public humiliation and physical punishment caused her to stop raising her hand in class. At home, children face punishment for actions as innocent as delayed walking or self-defecation.

The cycle continues due to intergenerational trauma. Parents beat their children because they were beaten themselves. Nana Ama Asantewaa Munufie II, Hansuahemaa of the Techiman Traditional Area, acknowledges this painful legacy and calls for an end to this violence. ASP Ama Nyarko Winifred of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) reports a steady increase in child abuse cases, with the real numbers likely higher as many children fear speaking out, saying the abuse is necessary for instilling respect.

However, hope exists through the SOS Children’s Villages initiative, funded by the Norwegian Government via NORAD. This five-year project, "Protecting Children at Risk of Losing Parental Care," targets 6,000 children at risk of losing parental care and 2,000 caregivers across 20 communities in Ghana. The project focuses on economic empowerment of caregivers, positive parenting training, literacy programs, community-based child protection committees, and empowering civil society organizations to advocate for children’s rights.