A reflection on homeschooling and abuse
My name is R.E., and I’m here to write about homeschooling and child abuse.
I’m on the staff of a volunteer organization called the Coalition for Responsible Home Education (CRHE), an advocacy nonprofit working to protect the rights of homeschooled children. I’m also a former student of CFC’s Christian Fellowship Academy.
I never attended CFC, but my siblings and I were involved with CFA as homeschooled students for many years. CFA provided us, and other homeschooled kids in the North Country, with things that homeschoolers often miss out on: socialization with kids our own age; instruction in topics like gym, art, and music that our parents couldn’t provide; and even the chance for a real graduation ceremony, complete with robes and caps.
CFA also placed us in a community that fostered, justified, and covered up child abuse. While at CFA, I heard stories of child abuse that went unchecked and unchallenged by church leaders. Since leaving, I’ve continued to learn about the harms being done to classmates and their siblings by people I was encouraged to see as authorities. Those aren’t my stories to tell, but they’re a part of why I work with CRHE.
Homeschooling is not inherently abusive. What it is, inherently, is isolating: something that works to the advantage of abusers both inside and outside the family. Children whose education is limited, whose contact with outside communities is cut off, and whose access to basic resources is often constrained by authority figures who are at once parent, teacher, and spiritual leader, become vulnerable targets for abuse.
Homeschooling doesn’t cause abuse, but it creates both the fertile ground for it to flourish and a sturdy shield against outside intervention. New York State’s homeschool laws are more robust than many in the country—for example, parents must file annual notices, individualized instruction plans, and quarterly reports—but they still leave space for educational neglect and other serious forms of abuse by homeschool parents.
That’s why CRHE exists: to advocate for greater oversight of homeschooling and stronger protections for kids like those at CFA, who are often without any resources to address the harm being done to them. CRHE’s Bill of Rights for Homeschooled Children affirms homeschooled children’s rights to safety, education, future, community, physical and mental healthcare, expression, autonomy, and more. Anyone can add their signature to the bill of rights to support better protections for homeschooled children.
CFA alumni can also get access to resources through CRHE, such as:
If you’re currently being homeschooled—or know someone who is—CRHE maintains a guide to resources, including online educational resources, to help students navigate the challenges of homeschooling. If you aren’t learning enough or are having problems at home, there are ways to get help.
For more ways to take action with CRHE, visit the website and follow our social media.
R.E. Fulton was homeschooled K-12 and attended CFA for seven years.
