Ideological indoctrination of children during Crises: Non-Religious extremism in authoritarian regimes

This article investigates the secular ideological indoctrination of children under authoritarian regimes during political and humanitarian crises, focusing on the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, North Korea, and Maoist China. While much attention has been given to religious radicalization, this study highlights how non-religious regimes exploit education and child socialization to consolidate power. Using a comparative, interdisciplinary framework grounded in critical theory, developmental psychology, and human rights law, it explores how states manipulate curricula, emotional bonds, and youth institutions to reengineer identity, suppress dissent, and instill loyalty.

Crises enable regimes to occupy moral and epistemic space left by collapsing institutions, reframing education as a tool of ideological purification. The study introduces the concept of affective captivity to capture the emotional restructuring of children's moral frameworks and links these practices to violations of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It reframes indoctrination as a form of epistemic and structural violence with enduring psychological and civic consequences.

By naming secular indoctrination as a form of non-religious extremism, the article contributes to authoritarian studies, child rights, and comparative education. It calls for enhanced legal recognition, critical curriculum safeguards, and post-crisis strategies to protect children's autonomy and psychosocial development.