Deviance

The Amish are far from perfect. Amish communities experience many of the same problems as other human groups, including greed, jealousy, and anger. Parents worry about their children. Some Amish youth rebel against their parents, the church, and even the law. Some marriages sour. Church leaders have been known to abuse their power. Sexual and physical abuse occurs in some Amish families. Disagreements sometimes debilitate a church district, forcing the local church to split into factions.

Despite their imperfections, the Amish have developed a remarkably stable society. With little government aid, they provide care and dignity for their elderly and disabled members. Apart from occasional alcohol or drug abuse among their youth, Amish communities have avoided many of the blights of modern life. With very few exceptions, they have no homeless or unemployed members and no one living on government subsidies. Virtually no Amish people are in prison, and only occasionally do Amish couples divorce. All things considered, they have created a humane society despite their lack of high school education, professional training, and full embrace of technology.

Additional information

• Donald B. Kraybill, Renegade Amish: Beard Cutting, Hate Crimes, and the Trial of the Bergholz Barbers (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2014).