Despite the growing concern in the nation pertaining to abused children, few, if any of the actual abuse cases involve homeschooled children. Although many parents may wonder if homeschooled children are more likely to be abused because they are in the presence of their parents more often, the simple fact is that it is highly unlikely. Parents decide to homeschool their children because they truly care about their children, their education and their welfare.
Although it would be foolish to deny the fact that abuse can and does happen, even to homeschooled children, it is not a common occurrence. Parent homeschool their children because they are concerned that the public school system will fail to provide their children with the quality education they need and deserve: the education that will make them into competent and healthy adults. Abuse is that last thing on many homeschooling parents' minds, despite the horror stories frequently heard on the local news. Nevertheless, concern lingers in the community, and since abuse is indeed a national problem, whether children that fall victim are homeschooled or not, community members are looking for solutions to put an end to child abuse.
So what can members of the community do to improve the situation? Whether a child is homeschooled or not should not be the primary concern. If a member of the community believes that a child is being abused because they have witnessed signs of abuse, then that individual should take the responsibility to call the authorities or the Child Abuse hotline. No child deserves to be abused and community members need to keep their eyes open for such instances. Rather than ignore what one might see, they should attempt to put an end to the abuse they may witness or suspect.
Ultimately, many of the cases of abuse do not occur in homes where parents homeschool their children. Rather, the opposite typically occurs: parents that homeschool their children make every effort to be a good role model by making themselves an important part of their children's every day life. Moreover, homeschooling parents attempt to educate their children in a loving environment and they make all attempts to ensure that their child is getting the education they need to function in society. This is not to say however, that abuse can't happen to a homeschooled child, but it is saying that any child could fall victim to abuse anytime, anywhere; whether they are homeschooled or not.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling parent, author, children's rights advocate, and Founder and C.E.O. of Learning by Grace, Inc. She and her husband of almost 3 decades reside with their 8 children in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Rothschild co-founded Learning By Grace, Inc. because "our current system of education has broken its promise..." Learning By Grace, Inc. delivers Internet-based multimedia education to PreK-12 children in the United States and throughout the world.
Rothschild has authored a number of books about education published by McGraw Hill and others. Her Daily Education News Blog contains feature stories on alternatives in education.