Kofi Boakye | University of Cambridge (original) (raw)
Uploads
Papers by Kofi Boakye
The Palgrave International Handbook of Youth Imprisonment, 2021
In this chapter, we review the juvenile justice system in Ghana and how it responds to young peop... more In this chapter, we review the juvenile justice system in Ghana and how it responds to young people in conflict with the law. There is a dearth of theoretical and empirical research on juvenile justice in Ghana and Africa more generally. Yet these contexts provide useful sites for exploration of fundamental issues about juvenile justice. Among such issues are the impact of colonial history and neoliberal policy transfers on treatment of young people caught up in the justice system. The chapter provides a background to youth justice and the conditions of incarcerated young people in Ghana. We argue that colonial history and neoliberal youth justice policy transfers have dislocated the traditional system of justice. This dislocation has, in turn, created tensions and contradictions in juvenile justice administration in Ghana and Africa. Although in theory Ghana’s juvenile justice system appears to conform to many of the international standards and expectations, in practice the system undermines the rights of children and young people in conflict with the law. We conclude with suggestions about ways to address some of the challenges confronting juvenile justice administration in Ghana.
The phenomenon of child sexual abuse has been widely acknowledged across many societies, includin... more 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.
The Palgrave International Handbook of Youth Imprisonment, 2021
In this chapter, we review the juvenile justice system in Ghana and how it responds to young peop... more In this chapter, we review the juvenile justice system in Ghana and how it responds to young people in conflict with the law. There is a dearth of theoretical and empirical research on juvenile justice in Ghana and Africa more generally. Yet these contexts provide useful sites for exploration of fundamental issues about juvenile justice. Among such issues are the impact of colonial history and neoliberal policy transfers on treatment of young people caught up in the justice system. The chapter provides a background to youth justice and the conditions of incarcerated young people in Ghana. We argue that colonial history and neoliberal youth justice policy transfers have dislocated the traditional system of justice. This dislocation has, in turn, created tensions and contradictions in juvenile justice administration in Ghana and Africa. Although in theory Ghana’s juvenile justice system appears to conform to many of the international standards and expectations, in practice the system undermines the rights of children and young people in conflict with the law. We conclude with suggestions about ways to address some of the challenges confronting juvenile justice administration in Ghana.
The phenomenon of child sexual abuse has been widely acknowledged across many societies, includin... more 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.