Peer-reviewed article

Violence begets violence: how grandmother kinship caregivers mitigate abuse by their grandchildren.

Hajara Bentum, Alhassan Abdullah, Vicki Banham, Kwadwo Adusei-Asante · 16 Dec 2025

Abstract

Growing research evidence has shown that grandparents who provide care to their grandchildren as kinship caregivers (termed grandparent kinship care) experience several challenges, including abuse by the children in their care. We argue that grandmother kinship caregivers in Ghana may be subjected to severe and continuous abuse due to the legitimacy of myths about witchcraft accusations against older people. Following narrative interviews with 31 grandmother kinship caregivers in Ghana, who have experienced abuse and harm from children in their care, we found that the grandmothers used physical punishment and discipline, neglect, and other violence strategies to control and mitigate abusive behaviors of the children in their care. Grandmothers need protection from abuse; thus, we recommend the development of parenting programs to enable grandparent kinship caregivers to develop skills to protect themselves and prevent future harm by children in their care.