A medical doctor and child health advocate, Dr. Maame Serwaa Gyamfi Aboagye, has issued a stark warning to parents, asserting that the most significant threat to Ghanaian children often exists within their own homes. Speaking at a thought leadership forum organised by Adom TV, Adom FM, and Asempa FM—subsidiaries of the Multimedia Group Limited—she challenged the conventional notion of “stranger danger,” arguing that child abuse is largely perpetrated by individuals within a child’s immediate circle of trust.
The forum, held under the theme “Safe Homes, Strong Society: Ending Domestic Violence and Hidden Abuse Together,” convened experts to address what participants described as a pervasive yet largely concealed crisis of domestic abuse.
Dr. Aboagye emphasised that one of the most significant barriers to justice is the close emotional and social relationship between victims and perpetrators. Where abusers are caregivers, relatives, or trusted family associates, children are often constrained by fear, loyalty, and dependency, resulting in prolonged silence.
“Sometimes it is the familiar faces that abuse our children,” she noted, identifying potential perpetrators as including extended family members, family friends, and domestic workers. She explained that victims frequently remain silent due to fear of disbelief or concern about disrupting family cohesion.
Addressing contemporary social dynamics, Dr. Aboagye highlighted the impact of increasingly demanding work schedules on parental supervision. She observed that reduced parental presence at home has created vulnerabilities, shifting the responsibility for early detection of abuse to educators. Teachers, she noted, are often among the first to identify behavioural changes, physical injuries, or signs of emotional distress.
She therefore urged parents to adopt more proactive roles in safeguarding their children by fostering open communication and trust.
The long-term consequences of abuse were also underscored. Dr. Aboagye warned that unresolved childhood trauma frequently manifests in serious psychological conditions in adulthood, necessitating timely access to professional counselling and mental health support.
While acknowledging challenges within the justice system, she stressed the importance of pursuing accountability, cautioning against the practice of resolving abuse cases informally within families. Such approaches, she argued, often allow perpetrators to evade consequences and reoffend.
“Justice may not be immediate, but holding offenders accountable serves as a deterrent,” she stated.
The programme forms part of broader national efforts to strengthen child protection mechanisms and increase awareness of the often-hidden nature of domestic abuse. Participants concluded that safeguarding children is fundamental to societal development, and that confronting abuse within familiar spaces is a necessary step toward building a more secure and just society.
