Hidden Aggressions Toward Children in Secretive Religious Groups
In religious cults, children are often subjected to manipulation, isolation, and systematic abuse. These groups, such as the "Twelve Tribes," legitimise physical violence like corporal punishment, and children are raised to believe in a dangerous world, fostering chronic fear that disrupts normal emotional development.
Education is often seen as an enemy in these groups, as it promotes self-empowerment and critical reflection. Consequently, children's personalities are shaped from the outside, with independent and critical thinking deliberately suppressed. In the "Twelve Tribes," corporal punishment is a common part of education, with children being beaten with rods multiple times a day.
The isolation of children in such groups is intentional, preventing them from learning about alternative lifestyles and questioning their own situation. Children in these isolated communities often have limited or no contact with the outside world. Tragic cases exist where children die from treatable illnesses due to lack of medical care, as parents in these groups reject evidence-based scientific medicine in favour of "faith healing."
Child protection is at a dilemma with so-called cults, as parents have the right to freedom of religion and child rearing, but children have the right to protection from abuse. The European Court of Human Rights has made it clear that religiously motivated violence against children is not tolerable, but youth welfare offices and family courts need more sensitivity to the often subtle forms of abuse in religious communities.
Protecting children raised in religious cults requires a combined approach of vigilant societal and legal oversight, informed and supported families, and accessible exit and recovery resources. Stronger regulation and monitoring of cult and fringe groups is essential to identify and intervene early in abusive environments, as current systems like working-with-children checks are often insufficient.
In cases where children are removed from cult environments, legal assistance is crucial to secure custody and prevent re-exposure to manipulation. Some cults disregard custody rulings invoking "God's law above the law of the land."
Educating families about the signs of cult manipulation and coercive methods helps in early recognition and prevention. For example, anti-cult advocates warn against direct confrontation with members as it can deepen indoctrination.
Support groups and organizations like Stop Religious Coercion Australia help former members and their families rebuild autonomy and resist ongoing manipulation. Government inquiries into cult recruitment and retention, with public hearings and final reports, can lead to policy changes that better protect children in these environments.
Adults who want to leave these groups often find it difficult due to the loss of family, social environment, and worldview. Raising awareness and education for families and communities can help in early recognition and prevention.
In summary, protecting children raised in religious cults requires a combined approach of vigilant societal and legal oversight, informed and supported families, and accessible exit and recovery resources to counteract coercion, isolation, and abuse systematically reported in such groups.
- The Commission, in light of the cases where children die due to lack of medical care in religious cults, has not yet adopted a decision on mandating evidence-based science in health-and-wellness therapies and treatments for these communities.
- Conversely, the Commission could consider implementing seminars or workshops on science education, particularly in the fields of mental-health and health-and-wellness, as a means to counteract the suppressing of independent and critical thinking that is prevalent in religious cults.
- In the face of crime-and-justice concerns related to religious cults, with parents disregarding custody rulings and citing "God's law above the law of the land," the Commission might also consider stricter enforcement and penalties for those who endanger their children's general news outcomes by intentionally isolating them from necessary education and protection.
