Religious Child Maltreatment

Religion can bring children great comfort.
It can also turn their lives into a living hell.

A religious upbringing can be a wonderful experience for a child, but it can also be harmful. This website provides information about a problem many people don’t like to talk about—religious child maltreatment. The fact is, certain religious cultures put children at risk for abuse and neglect—even fatally. What is particularly disturbing is that perpetrators often believe their acts are righteous and condoned by God. By raising awareness of this issue, we can better assure that a religious upbringing is a positive experience for every child.

Breaking Their Will

In this revealing, disturbing, and thoroughly researched book, Janet Heimlich takes an in-depth look at many forms of child abuse and neglect as they manifest themselves in a religious context. They include biblically-prescribed corporal punishment that aims to “break a child's will”; terrorizing children with frightening religious messages; sexual abuse perpetrated by religious authorities; and faith healing-related medical neglect. After speaking with dozens of victims, perpetrators, and experts and reviewing a myriad of court cases and studies, Ms. Heimlich not only exposes the problem of religious child maltreatment but explains how it occurs.

The Politics of Big Religion

Breaking Their Will

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