More than 80% of children in religious families said they were forced to participate in religious events, with many compelled to do so when they were in elementary school, according to a survey by social research organization Chiki-lab.
A total of 1,131 people, mainly children and grandchildren of religious followers, responded to the online survey conducted in September.
In the survey, 34% of the respondents said they experienced restrictions on romance and companionship due to religious beliefs, while 24% of them had restrictions on schoolwork and employment. Twenty-five percent of the respondents said they suffered corporal punishment. The survey also shows women were more likely to be forced even as they became older.
One respondent said, "As I didn't read the sutras, I was locked in a room without an air conditioner or fan in the summer." Another said: "As I didn't listen to my parents, they poured water over me in the middle of winter and didn't provide me with meals. I was living in fear, trying to avoid being physically punished."
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