This is indeed a horrific situation, one that I've been aware of for a long time - but can I just mention that this is EXTREME CHRISTIAN homeschooling in action and that there are also MANY more homeschoolers (and indeed unschoolers) in the USA and worldwide who would never dream of abusing their children in the ways highlighted in your (really we written) article.

Some of them (of us - I hold my hand up) are more than aware of the rights of the child and uphold them fully. In fact, often times, a child is homeschooled/educated in order to give them more sense of confidence and individuality, can be perfect for uniquely 'quirky' children and can be a damn sight more protective for children on the LGBTQ+ spectrum than a public school (especially in certain US states these days may I add).

Apologies if I've come across as 'not all men' ish or something, I do absolutely agree with everything you say in this piece Tyger. I just felt it could use a little disclaimer added to be honest. In the UK, where I live, home educators have actually had a hard time dealing with being tarred with the same brush as abusers who had absolutely nothing to do with home educating. We're a big community even over here, we home educate for all manner of reasons (religion being only one) and in many different ways. While there are children who don't thrive in that environment, for the most part they do really well and are such well balanced intelligent adults - my own autonomously educating 20 year old is a prime example of that.