Religious Child Abuse a Huge Problem

we've spoken anecdotally on the show about these instances of children being abused or not receiving medical treatment specifically because of religious reasons and today to talk about this issue and more is the author of the book breaking their will shedding light on religious child maltreatment janet heimlich so janet you would say in the book that this problem is far more widespread than the few anecdotal cases i've talked about on my show how widespread is this that's a great question um... i wish there was some sort of tracking of these cases uh... it's only been done with narrowed studies uh... and and we really don't have a good handle on numbers uh... but uh... what we often find out is there's a child aspin harm uh... after death and then it makes it headlines and we are familiar with say it shall be who is uh... medically neglected due to religious beliefs about be healing insulate doctor and things like diabetes are infections and things like that furry here got a childless beaten to death by a parent for and member of the or or a neighbor or something like that who who were part of it sure is that believes that the bible says he's been you sheets orion and uh... before open issues on children or we hear about the issue no remains the problems uh... *** abuse and thirty uh... sales or really just kind of trying to uh... you don't track track with wasn't very out love writes that circus n and makes headlines in it in in newspapers online and support what what we need to have to appreciate is that for every child we read about approval correct that saccharine uh... there there had has got to be uh... until a member of perkins that are are harmed but that doesn't count right i mean because part of this is the big is by its nature the type of thing that kids are not going to speak out about the we can only imagine that for every one we hear about who knows how many there are hundreds maybe thousands that we're not hearing about so i kind of think that there are three psa three areas here and you tell me if you agree there is number one you alluded to the *** abuse component which on on this program we particularly cover it vis-a-vis the catholic church but certainly it exists across a number of of religions then there's the physical abuse which we've talked about and their they were out there actually some groups which maybe you can speak to which have manuals and guides which actually dictate the physical punishment for children and the number three is the medical neglect which is choosing not to obtain medical services for child either through the idea that prayer will he'll or through the idea that those treatment to go against god's will now of the three which is the newest in other words some elements of these guys who have been around for a really long time which of these i think the biggest up arising lately actresses say that uh... you're missing one huge area which i think is the most pervasive panetta sidle up to clinton though she only black tenants writer for drive-by asset absolutely none at all outlet you actually don't mean in terms of planning at someone and i shall hasn't psychologically par it actually is the time by the eight-b_ apartments l the the words that are used for examples such as ninety earlier a sinner anybody holler that anything it's it actually is not confined by proven results eighteen later on in life and uh... i can almost guarantee whenever you'll have that case uh... a religious china must repay that involves *** abuse physical abuse uh... or or medical implant you will you will have and psychological houston it might as well singing and acting a question of is is one of these something that we're seeing a particularly drastic rising lately you know i i i wouldn't say that uh... e arcing uh... changes in the in the rate to be sings only because we're not able to really track and i mean for example when uh... chapel services comes in and interviews with family they're not looking to see whether or not the motivation behind the easter neglect is uh... religious or spiritual when someone is pulled out of sight of the road i'd buy a police officer and they're going to get the seating that reads officer will know whether or not it's alcohol related but we don't have that same kind of tracking data uh... make an issue child at least cases no i'm glad we did have a story last week where a woman got pulled over actually said god was telling her to go a hundred miles per hour but that things got a little bit of an isolated case now one thing people may notice when they read the book and you would dress this in the introduction of isn't and that that lease aussie uh... drought-like the bade bade happy ready allocation which i thought since anne captain and whether or not it's not running it or not so the legislative dot nasa i think that we should do intentions that shopping services there go ahead with your question that will make a difference maybe i know that one of the criticisms will be that hey you're focusing on uh... christianity which of course bill o'reilly fed a few days ago as a full us you not of religion but putting that aside for a second that you focus on christianity you also talk about judy is on and islam but but there's going to be this claim that hate uh... r_u_ focusing on christianity because if the worst offender or are you personally just choosing to focus on that address that a little bit uh... without a doubt unit jewelry in cases that i'd talk about in my book parents to be christian based uh... that is simply because my about purposes on american crimes and far more people borrower religious people in this country christian in any other fate so that separately and respond you probably do this same up say in the middle east of i'm sure you have way more problems that are in islamic communities et cetera uh... what what determines where you have more problems last night and you do it wet dot people worship or whether release his tax they're reading it has to do with a after expiry nature of the culture of the child is being raised in so as such becky i'm glad you use the term authoritarian because we've been on the program talking for awhile about traits that seem to be exhibited in parenting that leads to people growing up in being politically conservative and traits in parenting that lead to children being liberal and the number one trait that leads to conservative adults is when their children the parents have a more authoritarian parenting technique and tend to use more physical punishment how do you think that that ties into the issues you talk about in the book adds an interesting question their hand psychological studies then con individuals to determine what kinda uh... indiana while learning and eight more of an airport erin bar verses one new here it is the war and and in these studies have shown that what what are called authoritarian powers meaning people who are are very conservative in their beliefs your conventional in the middle east for procreation enable it's but basements you being more honest or experienced a up which means that game or are much more likely to recognize and endif forwarded it here and and and follow that authority figure by has well and it's fight again it says that they dean he had posing that authority the year and i did talk a little bit about the cities and but because when they have determined is that these very conservative at a probation people often offer religious movements interesting well there's plenty more in the book that we haven't talked about encourage people to check it out it is of course breaking their will shedding light on religious child maltreatment we've been speaking with the author janet heimlich uh... thank you so much for talking to us today i think this is uh... although it's a very sad topic to have to discuss the book is that in a because so much examined all right we'll take a break and we'll be back with plenty more after this date in