Always under lockdown: Exploring prevalence of self-reported abuse among homeschooled students and alumni in the United States

Child Abuse Negl. 2026 Apr 27;176:108076. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2026.108076. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: There is little research about homeschooled children’s experiences of abuse and neglect that is quantitative and not funded by private interest groups. What exists is typically published in education journals rather than child abuse and neglect journals, thus limiting scholars’ and practitioners’ exposure to such research. Homeschooled children’s isolation and prolonged proximity to their parents or guardians compounds the issue of lack of research.

OBJECTIVE: The current study examines the prevalence of several types of child maltreatment among a sample of homeschooled children and alumni in the United States and examines relationships between abuse/neglect and self-reported adverse experiences and suicidal ideation.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTINGS: All posts from the r/HomeschoolRecovery subreddit from 2023 were collected, coded, and then collapsed by individual user (n = 716) to examine self-reported experiences.

METHODS: Posts were coded using a literature-based codebook to conduct a quantitative content analysis. Logistic regression models were then conducted to test exploratory hypotheses.

RESULTS: Much of the sample reported adverse outcomes and educational neglect, and nearly a third reported social isolation. Physical, emotional, and spiritual abuse were significantly correlated with nearly all other forms of abuse and neglect. Logistic regression models showed medical neglect and emotional abuse to significantly increase the likelihood of adverse outcomes, and social isolation significantly increased the likelihood of suicidal ideation.

CONCLUSIONS: While exploratory, this study is among the first to systematically code self-reported abuse experiences from a marginalized population that is difficult to track and protect. Opportunities for future studies are presented to expand this research subfield.

PMID:42049001 | DOI:10.1016/j.chiabu.2026.108076