The Social Scientific Study of Children in New Religions? You Must Be Joking!

ABSTRACT: This perspective essay draws on the author’s previous research and data recently collected during a five-year research project (2018–2023) on children in minority religions. Its purpose is to address l’etat de la question regarding the academic study of children in new religious movements. Issues that are fiercely debated by scholars and members of the public include whether children are cherished in alternative spiritual communities or abused in “cults,” and whether they are indoctrinated, held captive, or free to choose to stay or leave (when they are old enough). Despite the paucity of research data on childrearing in new religious movements, strong negative opinions are expressed in the mass media, family courts, and anticult literature. Value-free fieldwork on children in new religious movements is important to finding out what is actually going on in relation to children in groups, and learning about group characteristics likely to affect child-rearing practices, in order to convey research conclusions to social workers, law enforcement agents, and members of the media so they can make informed and unbiased decisions about constructive actions to protect the welfare and rights of children, as needed, while respecting the rights of parents.