There was a time when most children were schooled at home, because schools were either too far away, or simply didn’t exist. And homeschooled kids were so normal that no one gave it a second thought. Now, you can hardly go a month without reading some horror story in the paper about homeschooled children being abused by their parents, or an opinion piece about why homeschooled kids are at risk and should be tracked. Or forced to attend public school where the government can keep an eye on them.

Why? Why is the term “homeschooled” now synonymous with “abused“?  Why are kids who learn their abc’s from their parents, instead of from a teacher, assumed to be at greater risk for abuse and neglect? Is this a legitimate concern, or just a hyped up fear that the media has capitalized on in the name of drawing in more readers with sensationalist headlines? Good question…

There are many benefits to homeschooling.

Ask parents who homeschool and they’ll tell you – there are loads of reasons why homeschooled kids actually have an advantage over their public, and even private, schooled peers. Here are the most common ones mentioned:

• Homeschooling allows parents to focus on areas of study that are important to their kids, without having to take into account an entire classroom.
• Homeschooling allows parents to include religious or faith-based instruction in their teachings.
• Homeschooling reduces a kid’s chance of being bullied and teased
• Homeschooling allows kids with special abilities, gifted kids, and kids with learning disabilities to learn in an environment with fewer distractions and more one-on-one time.
• Homeschooling allows for concentrated learning time, which allows for shorter school times, and therefore more play time.

Homeschooling has got a bad rap from a few isolated cases.

The “Detroit freezer mom” who pulled her kids out of school to “homeschool” them, and then ended up killing them and storing their bodies in a freezer near her front door made horrifying headlines for weeks. The story of the Turpin children, which was heartbreaking, also circulated the media for weeks, drawing a lot of negative attention to the issue of homeschooling.

But those are not the norm.There are more than 100,000 homeschooled children in Michigan. Yet the number of homeschooled children who are identified by authorities as abused or neglected is far fewer than the number of abused children in public school. So why are homeschooled kids viewed as being more vulnerable? Is it simply the fact that because homeschooled kids aren’t “seen” by authority figures as often, and therefor cases of abuse and neglect are much harder to discover?

Parents who choose to homeschool are not abusers!

Join us next time, as we look at the effects that a few isolated abuse cases have had on homeschooling in Michigan, and how that has affected homeschooling families in the Great Lakes state. Until then, if you or a loved one have been accused of abusing or neglecting a child, whether or not you’re a homeschooling family, call The Kronzek Firm at 866 766 5245!

Our highly skilled and experienced abuse and neglect defense attorneys have decades of experience defending parents who’re accused of child abuse. We are aggressive parent advocates who understand exactly how to handle false allegations of abuse, and investigations conducted by police and CPS. Don’t let an in experienced attorney cost you your family. Get the right help, right now!