When Homeschooling Hides Abuse

In this episode of 'One in Ten,' Teresa Huizar interviews Dr. Emily Putnam-Hornstein (UNC Chapel Hill) about how homeschooling intersects with child abuse and neglect, emphasizing that homeschooling is growing (about 2 million children) while reliable data and regulation vary widely by state and are often minimal. The conversation covers rare but egregious torture cases, potential child-focused oversight for high-risk families, barriers to policy change, and the importance of reporting concerns to hotlines.

Time Stamps:

00:00 Homeschooling And Hidden Abuse

01:21 Why Study Homeschooling

02:08 Data Gaps In California

03:52 How Common Is Homeschooling

05:31 Politics And Polarization

06:59 Mandatory Reporters Explained

09:23 Training Gaps For Families

11:14 State Rules Vary Widely

12:37 Torture Cases And Limits

16:04 Child Focused Policy Ideas

19:47 Notification And Oversight

23:45 Support And Cyber Schooling

28:36 Why Reforms Keep Failing

32:00 Advice For Professionals

34:13 Anonymous Reporting Concerns

36:15 Wrap Up And Thanks

Resources:

Homeschooling and child maltreatment: A review of the regulatory context and research evidence in the United States - ScienceDirect

Support the show

Did you like this episode? Please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.