ORCID Profile
0000-0003-0411-8519
Current Organisations
University of Essex
,
Aalborg Universitet
,
University of Exeter
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Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-02-2021
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 09-2021
DOI: 10.1177/25161032211046409
Abstract: Growing literature on COVID-19 shows an increase in family violence and child maltreatment cases as a result of the public health preventive measures including lockdowns and movement restrictions. These restrictions negatively affect victims’ ability to seek social services or leave the violent relationship. There are some indications of hope, however, as countries have begun easing restrictions which may enable victims to seek social services. Yet, the fluidity of COVID-19, emergence of complex variants of COVID-19 virus, continues restrictions on face-to-face engagements and evidence of re-entry into lockdown suggest that social services would not be fully available for victims of family violence. We offer a practical community intervention approach through informal social control for victims of family violence during and even after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 06-2021
DOI: 10.1177/25161032211019048
Abstract: Formal foster care is a relatively new phenomenon in Ghana. The practice is in conformity with international and national policy guidelines to deinstitutionalize and strengthen family-based care for children without adequate parental care. In addition to the known challenges of foster parenting in Ghana (stigma, financial challenges and emotional strain, inexperience of the foster parents), the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 restrictions may worsen caregivers’ burden and negatively affect children in care. This study explored how foster parents are meeting their caregiving demands during the COVID-19 pandemic in the face of existing and new challenges. Following a participatory practice research approach, a co-constructed interview guide by the researchers and a practitioner was used to conduct in-depth telephone interviews with 13 foster parents. Findings from thematic analysis of the interviews showed challenges, including increased cost of caregiving and multiple caregiving duties as challenges facing foster parents whereas children’s knowledge about the virus, informal support and religious beliefs collectively enhanced caregiving during the pandemic. The findings provide learning about ways to alleviate parenting challenges for foster parents during and after the pandemic. Specifically, interventions that view children as actors for change and strengthen community and religious bodies to deliver psychosocial services would be useful to improve foster parenting.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-12-2020
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 22-04-2020
DOI: 10.1111/CFS.12764
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 31-05-2023
DOI: 10.1038/S41586-023-06083-8
Abstract: The stability and resilience of the Earth system and human well-being are inseparably linked 1–3 , yet their interdependencies are generally under-recognized consequently, they are often treated independently 4,5 . Here, we use modelling and literature assessment to quantify safe and just Earth system boundaries (ESBs) for climate, the biosphere, water and nutrient cycles, and aerosols at global and subglobal scales. We propose ESBs for maintaining the resilience and stability of the Earth system (safe ESBs) and minimizing exposure to significant harm to humans from Earth system change (a necessary but not sufficient condition for justice) 4 . The stricter of the safe or just boundaries sets the integrated safe and just ESB. Our findings show that justice considerations constrain the integrated ESBs more than safety considerations for climate and atmospheric aerosol loading. Seven of eight globally quantified safe and just ESBs and at least two regional safe and just ESBs in over half of global land area are already exceeded. We propose that our assessment provides a quantitative foundation for safeguarding the global commons for all people now and into the future.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-12-2020
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 27-06-2022
DOI: 10.1101/2022.06.24.497294
Abstract: Defining a safe and just biosphere space requires a synthetic scaleable measure of biosphere functional integrity to secure Nature’s Contributions to People (NCP). Using a systematic review of 153 peer-reviewed studies we estimated the minimum level of functional integrity needed to secure multiple critical NCP, including pollination, pest and disease control, water quality regulation, soil protection, recreation and natural hazards mitigation in human-modified landscapes. We characterise functional integrity by the quantity, quality and spatial configuration of (semi-)natural habitat within any landscape. We find that at least 20-25% of structurally complex and biologically erse (semi-)natural habitat in each 1 km 2 of land area is needed to maintain the supply of multiple NCP simultaneously. Exact quantity, quality and spatial configuration required is dependent on local context, and may differ for in idual NCP. Today, about 50-60% of human-modified lands have less than 10% and 20% (semi-)natural habitat per 1 km 2 respectively. These areas require immediate attention to regenerate functional integrity in order to secure ecological functioning in those landscapes.
Publisher: The Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare
Date: 22-10-2018
DOI: 10.1017/CHA.2018.41
Abstract: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) includes provisions to ensure that children and young people have a say in decisions affecting their lives. Although a signatory to the UNCRC, Ghana is a nation where little empirical evidence has been gathered regarding the barriers that prevent children from participating in child protection. Thus, in this article, we report on findings from a qualitative study into the barriers to children's participation in child protection practice in Ghana. The study was based on qualitative interviews with 15 child protection practitioners, and a constructivist grounded theory approach was used to analyse data from the interviews. Intimidation, parental influence, communication problems, and confidentiality were identified as barriers to promoting participatory practices for children in the child protection process. The study findings suggest that engaging with children in separate rooms or spaces, away from the presence of parents and other adults, could help practitioners promote children's participation. It is recommended that practitioners should upgrade their skills for working with children by taking part in in-service training, workshops, and seminars to help address issues with communication. Practical actions suggested in this study may also be useful for other practitioners addressing similar issues.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2018
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2020
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.CHIABU.2022.105580
Abstract: Contrary to evidence from the Western literature, cases of filicide in Ghana are mostly unreported because they are rooted in cultural practices and hidden from the general public. The purpose of this study was to explore the cultural context of filicide in a rural community. Particularly, to provide an understanding of the spirit child (SC) phenomenon, how the killing of a SC is performed and to provide a general understanding of filicide within a particular context. Four relatives of a family that engaged in a filicide incident took part in the study. The interviews were conducted in a rural community in Ghana where the incident occurred. Short written narratives were used to explore the experiences and perceptions of relatives whose family engaged in filicide. Children with severe deformities are likely to be associated with matters of inity which gives way for the conceptualization of the SC and its attendant filicide. The findings highlight the critical role of traditional healers in rural communities and the consequences of strong community beliefs and expectations that influence parents to commit filicide. The study provides directions for child protection workers to address the stigma parents face for having children with severe deformities and to provide education on child welfare legislation.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 13-11-2020
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-2020
DOI: 10.1002/CAR.2645
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 19-05-2021
Abstract: The provision of care by extended family members and close friends is a common cultural practice in Ghanaian traditional communities. With a recent interest by stakeholders in Ghana to consider kinship care as an alternative care option in child welfare policy, this study explores current kinship care challenges to help identify and address potential setbacks for policy and practice recommendations. In-depth interviews were conducted with 22 young adults with experience as Children in Kinship Care (CKC). The participants with CKC experience reported inadequate basic needs, educational neglect, and lack of adequate emotional attachment as the major difficulties experienced by children in kinship care. The study revealed that challenges faced by CKC in Ghana mostly come from the limited financial and emotional resources of caregivers. For policy recommendations, common cultural practices like CKC should be adequately examined with clear guidelines on how to promote the welfare of children and young people.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 16-04-2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2020
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 02-01-2019
Abstract: Promoting parental participation is one of the complex and delicate areas of child protection practice. Several authors argue that ensuring the participation of service users in child protection is a way to ensure a fit between service user needs and services. Studies on parental participation exist in some countries in the Western world, however, this is lacking in Ghana. This is the first study in Ghana to explore child protection workers and parents’ experiences on participatory practices. Drawing on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 8 child protection workers and 19 parents, this study reports participants’ experiences of participatory practices. Workers indicated they ensured transparency and ersity while promoting participatory practices and parents reported their engagement in decision making as a prominent feature of their participation in case meetings. Barriers to participation were identified by the participants. The study findings suggested some measures to be put in place to overcome these barriers to ensure the full participation of parents during case meetings.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-01-2021
DOI: 10.1111/CCH.12845
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-11-2022
DOI: 10.1038/S41893-022-00995-5
Abstract: The Sustainable Development Goals aim to improve access to resources and services, reduce environmental degradation, eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. However, the magnitude of the environmental burden that would arise from meeting the needs of the poorest is under debate—especially when compared to much larger burdens from the rich. We show that the ‘Great Acceleration’ of human impacts was characterized by a ‘Great Inequality’ in using and damaging the environment. We then operationalize ‘just access’ to minimum energy, water, food and infrastructure. We show that achieving just access in 2018, with existing inequalities, technologies and behaviours, would have produced 2–26% additional impacts on the Earth’s natural systems of climate, water, land and nutrients—thus further crossing planetary boundaries. These hypothetical impacts, caused by about a third of humanity, equalled those caused by the wealthiest 1–4%. Technological and behavioural changes thus far, while important, did not deliver just access within a stable Earth system. Achieving these goals therefore calls for a radical redistribution of resources.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2020
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2019
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 10-2018
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to investigate the perception of visually impaired students, their peers without disabilities, and teachers about inclusive education, focusing on a second cycle educational institution in the Eastern region of Ghana implementing inclusive education for the visually impaired. In this study, we collected data from 23 visually impaired students, 27 students without disabilities, and 19 teachers in the inclusive school. Data were collected through semistructured in-depth interviews. This study followed a phenomenological approach, reporting findings from participants’ own words. The study findings revealed that visually impaired students and some teachers supported inclusion while a number of students without disabilities disliked the practice. Some teachers indicated that the idea of inclusive education is a good way to ensure equal educational opportunities. The study concludes that Ghanaian teachers in inclusive schools should be equipped with training to teach students with disabilities.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 21-01-2020
DOI: 10.1016/J.ADOLESCENCE.2020.01.005
Abstract: In most sub‐Saharan African countries, studies on the impact of out‐of‐home care experience on the transition of young adults leaving care are limited to those leaving institutional or foster care with no empirical evidence on the experiences of those moving out of kinship care. This study reports findings from interviews with young adults with experience of kinship care in Ghana, about what lessons their kinship care experiences provided in their transition to adulthood. Twenty‐five young adults aged 21–25 years (17 males, 8 females) with kinship care experience from rural communities in Ghana were purposively selected. Using a semi‐structured interview guide, a qualitative short narrative approach was employed. Consistent patterns from the short narratives were analysed using the qualitative thematic approach. Key themes identified from the participants’ narratives were a) learning from life experiences b) better decision making and c) development of resilient strategies. Young adults reported that they shaped their lives with lessons from negative experiences, advice received from caregivers and management skills obtained from the unskilled income generating activities they undertook whilst in kinship care. The study provides evidence for policymakers to consider kinship care as an effective, suitable and cost‐effective alternative care arrangement for children in need of adequate parental care in Ghana. When assessing kin's suitability to provide care, some emphasis should be on caregivers' needs and assessment of activities engaged in by children living in kinship care. Social workers should provide counselling and education support to children moving out of kinship care.
Publisher: American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Date: 04-2021
DOI: 10.1029/2020EF001866
Abstract: Keeping the Earth system in a stable and resilient state, to safeguard Earth's life support systems while ensuring that Earth's benefits, risks, and related responsibilities are equitably shared, constitutes the grand challenge for human development in the Anthropocene. Here, we describe a framework that the recently formed Earth Commission will use to define and quantify target ranges for a “safe and just corridor” that meets these goals. Although “safe” and “just” Earth system targets are interrelated, we see safe as primarily referring to a stable Earth system and just targets as being associated with meeting human needs and reducing exposure to risks. To align safe and just dimensions, we propose to address the equity dimensions of each safe target for Earth system regulating systems and processes. The more stringent of the safe or just target ranges then defines the corridor. Identifying levers of social transformation aimed at meeting the safe and just targets and challenges associated with translating the corridor to actors at multiple scales present scope for future work.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 08-06-2021
DOI: 10.1177/0272684X211022176
Abstract: In this study, we attempted to move beyond the skewed discussions on stigma to unravel other social consequences that are experienced by persons who have recovered from COVID-19. We conducted a documentary review of published news reports from 14 highly ranked news portals in Ghana and Malaysia (published between 1st January 2020 and 30th August 2020) that contained personal accounts from the recovered patients about their lived experiences with the virus and social consequences encountered after recovery. Narratives from the recovered patients were extracted and analyzed following the narrative thematic analysis procedure. Common themes identified from the narratives included: 1) Stigma impacting mental health, 2) Assault and abuse 3) Experiences of treatment. The findings show the need for interprofessional collaboration between social and health care professionals such as social workers, community health workers, medical practitioners and psychologists to prevent and address issues of abuse and other social consequences experienced by COVID-19 survivors.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 28-12-2023
DOI: 10.1177/14733250211055487
Abstract: This paper aims to contribute to the indigenisation discourse by illustrating how dominant discourses and cultural practices explain and perpetuate social problems. We argue that focussing on the fundamental issue of a cultural conceptualisation of social problems will contribute positively to the development of the indigenous social work practice framework. As social work education forms an important foundation for how future social work practices will be performed, we interviewed 15 social work practicum students in Ghana about the cultural underpinnings of social problems. Themes developed from the interview data suggest that culture plays a key role in conceptualising social problems in Ghana. Although not often, culture tends to underpin and perpetuate social problems, such as streetism, child marriage and child neglect. Social work practice within the indigenous framework should aim at addressing the negative impacts of the cultural undertones of social problems. Social work practitioners should increase advocacy and knowledge sharing on the cultural explanations of social problems and collaborate with community leaders to change cultural values and norms that have negative ripple effects on children, young people and women.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 03-2021
Abstract: Children living with a parent with mental illness experience challenges as some may take on the roles of their parents. Physical distancing restrictions introduced because of the COVID-19 pandemic means that many children will spend more time at home which could heighten the impact of parental mental illness. For many of these children, engaging in activities with peers provides them a sort of normal life outside their family environment. However, face-to-face interactions with others outside the family may be limited under existing public health protocols. Moreover, services for children in families where there is parental mental illness may also be limited considering limitations placed on people’s movements to reduce the rate of COVID-19 infections. This opinion article draws on existing research and practitioner knowledge to suggest how social workers can continue supporting these children and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Support, in the form of online interventions, have been recommended to meet the needs of children during the pandemic period. Online support is timely because it is easily accessible and often does not require face-to-face interactions. Social workers and other human service professionals should be able to adapt existing online services to the needs of the children which they serve.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 28-02-2021
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2021
DOI: 10.1016/J.CHIABU.2021.105075
Abstract: Polyvictimization is often commonplace for young people living in violent communities. The situation is no different for young people in Ghanaian Zongo communities where poverty, social disorder and social vices are prevalent due to structural reasons. Using the social ecology approach to resilience, the study sought the perspectives of young people about how systemic aspects of community contribute to their positive development in high-risk communities. Following the short narrative approach, 23 young people ages 18-24 from two Zongo communities in Ghana were engaged in qualitative interviews. Cultural values of solidarity and peer support were common systemic enablers that facilitated young peoples' resilience. These enablers provided context and resources which ensured their survival in cases of neglect and abuse. Cultural values of solidarity exemplified by care for each other among residents created a safe environment and cultural capital contributed to the young peoples' resilience. Additionally, the "base" within Zongo communities provided a social structure that enabled peer support and promoted young peoples' resilience in the face of polyvictimization experiences. The findings shift the resilience discourse from a conception of personality traits to one of collective aspects of community systems. They also identify cultural values of solidarity within the community that provide cultural capital for the social functioning of young people dealing with polyvictimization in high-risk environments. The findings provide pathways for professionals to promote resilience and develop resilience-oriented primary preventive measures for adolescents living in high-risk environments in Africa.
Publisher: California Digital Library (CDL)
Date: 06-01-2020
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 13-09-2023
DOI: 10.1111/CFS.13081
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 24-04-2020
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 23-12-2021
Abstract: The success rate using formal mechanisms by Ghanaian social workers to ensure the best outcomes for the child when there is default in child maintenance payments is low hence the need to explore other strategies. The objective of this research was to explore informal support resources that could be helpful to families involved with social services on delinquent child maintenance (DCM). Guided by a practice research approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with 17 parents involved with a regional-level social service organization in Ghana. Their narratives were analyzed thematically using the NVivo software. Findings revealed that DCM is a problem for both sexes. Parents reported information, financial, and material support from relatives and neighbors to be relevant resources in addressing the problem. The study’s findings suggest the need for social workers to focus on informal support when addressing DCM and emphasize parental roles as situation-based not gender-based.
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Location: Germany
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
No related grants have been discovered for Jesse Abrams.