Breaking Their Will ─ Shedding Light on Religious Child Maltreatment

Heimlich, formerly a reporter for National Public Radio and now an independent journalist, describes four commonly accepted forms of religious child maltreatment in the US: physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, and medical neglect. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are all examined, but most material is on Christianity, with examples from the Catholic Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, the Followers of Christ, and the Remnant Fellowship Church. The author draws extensively on interviews with victims, perpetrators, and psychologists, as well as analysis of court cases and research. The book begins with four introductory chapters defining religious child maltreatment and surveying the church's denial of the problem, then discusses religious authoritarianism and explores Biblical passages related to child maltreatment. Subsequent chapters are grouped in sections on the four types of abuse. There is also a chapter devoted to child exorcism, and a chapter on male and female circumcision and the secret history of female genital cutting in America. Final chapters recommend repealing religious exemptions related to faith healing and eliminating abuse statutes of limitations. While the book contains detailed chapter notes and a list of books and websites, there is no subject index. Annotation c2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Janet Heimlich, formerly a freelance reporter for National Public Radio and other national radio networks for ten years, is now an independent journalist. In addition to her radio work, she has published investigative journalistic articles, human-interest stories, and book reviews in the Austin American-Statesman, Texas Monthly, the Houston Chronicle, the Texas Observer, and other publications.