Contemporary trends of witchcraft accusations and resulting violence against children: A scoping review and bibliometric analysis protocol.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

This review seeks to understand the global trends of contemporary witchcraft accusations and related harms against children and adolescents (0-18 years of age).

Introduction

Witchcraft-related violence against children and adolescents (children) reflects an alarming and understudied phenomenon of socio-culturally legitimated harm around the globe, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. 'Witchcraft' explains the unexplainable, such as strokes of luck and/or misfortune. Witchcraft accusations are linked to illness, sudden death, financial misfortune, miscarriages, financial windfall, disability, birth abnormalities, or rare conditions. Religious entities also levy witchcraft accusations, referring to black magic, evil, works or malicious spirits, to profit off families

SUBMITTER: Spence C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12863508 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature