Published: March 30, 2009 10:23 am      

Fatal crash in the Amish community shines light on sensitive practice of rumspringa

MILLERSBURG - A two-vehicle accident on March 22 that left one teenager dead and another arrested reverberated throughout the area’s Amish communities last week.

All four teenagers involved in the crash are members of the Amish community.

The accident and the subsequent arrest for driving while intoxicated underscored a concern Amish parents have for their youth.

Of equal concern, it also again raised misconceptions about the relationship between Amish parents and their teens.

At the heart of both concerns is what the Amish call “rumspringa.” Rumspringa, literally translated “running around,” is simply a period of dating and hanging out with friends. It starts at 16 and generally lasts until marriage, typically into the early 20s.

Unfortunately, when an incident like the crash makes headlines, rumors begin that Amish parents allow or even encourage their children to “sow their wild oats” during this period.

That is simply not true, said Levi Barkman, bishop of Amish church district 34-1 between Millersburg and Topeka.

“We try to have control,” Barkman said. “We certainly don’t tell them to go do what they want to do.”

A situation like the accident seems worse among the Amish because of their public persona of a plain, simple faith.

“As much as it hurts, it’s almost embarrassing to profess what we try to be and then something like this happens,” said Robert Mullet, bishop of district 61-2 near Middlebury. “But I know my mom and dad felt the same way.”

Because of that public image, it sometimes seems, incorrectly, as if there are more problems with Amish youth than non-Amish youth. The issues parents of teens face are strikingly similar.

Like their non-Amish counterparts, Amish teenagers are trying to find their individuality, which often means making a break from what Mom and Dad have to say. How much of a break the teen makes depends a lot on individual personality and peer pressure.

“It depends a lot on the company they keep,” Barkman said.

The Amish sense of community can magnify both the good and the bad. Mullet believes the population increase among the Amish youth has led to more visibility of the issues.

“In general it’s not worse than it was 20 years ago but look at the amount we have,” he said. “Instead of 20 or 30 in a group we have 200 or 300.”

One estimate is that in the immediate area there are 3,000 Amish youth between the ages of 16-21. The parameters of the “immediate area” weren’t given, but generally include eastern Elkhart and western LaGrange counties.

Barkman said the Amish youth can be loosely divided into three groups. One group abides mostly by the Amish beliefs. Their form of rebellion may be choosing clothes made from fancier fabric. Girls may wear makeup and boys may trick out their buggies, but no one would ever doubt that they were Amish.

This group enjoys activities like large-group hymn sings (a group can total more than 200), card tournaments and an increasing interest in horseback riding.

The second group drives cars and dresses in the latest fashion trends so that to the casual observer they appear to be non-Amish. They may go to a movie, music concert or other activities their parents frown upon. Still, many attend church regularly and are comfortable mingling with the first group.

The third group also drives cars and dresses in the latest fashions, but they engage in activities like smoking, alcohol and even drugs.

This is the group that makes the most headlines because their lifestyle has become such a stark contrast to how they were raised. It is also the group that most Amish parents fear will influence their children.

Free time and access to money have become two key issues among the Amish youth.

They have free time because so few Amish operate large farms these days. That means few, if any, chores to keep the youth busy.

Leroy Chupp, who operates Chupp’s Youth Park northeast of Millersburg, said previous generations had farm chores that used up time and energy.

“Now we don’t even have a full eight-hour day, youth or parents,” he said. “I’m not blaming the parents or the community, but the further we got from our old lifestyle, the more time we have.”

Free time leads to boredom in teens and boredom can lead to seeking ways to relieve that boredom, which often leads to poor choices.

Access to money, at least until recently, came from the RV factories. In the past, Amish youth contributed a significant portion of their earnings to the household budget. Now many don’t, or it is a decreased percentage. But with the high factory wages, even those who contribute a large percentage still have plenty left over.

Another sore point is the proliferation of cell phones among the Amish youth.

“The cell phone has absolutely ruined the Amish youth,” Mullet said.

Barkman explained that using cell phones can quickly turn a small, quiet gathering into a large mob. The bigger the group, the more likely that alcohol will be introduced into the gathering, he said.



As concerned as Amish parents and clergy are about these problems, Mullet worries that it takes the focus away from the majority of young people who are behaving responsibly.

“I wish we would focus more on them,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of good Amish youth, probably more than I’ve ever seen.”

Barkman agreed.

“There are a lot of young people out there,” he said, “trying to do what’s right.”

While the parents would like to push their kids into those groups, as all parents of teenagers know, there comes a time when teens have to be given more trust and responsibility. Parents can only hope and pray that their children will make the right decisions based on their upbringing. Some do and others don’t.

Barkman stated what many parents of teens – even responsible teens – have felt all too frequently.

“They don’t know how many tears and prayers go into it,” he said, “when you’re waiting for them to come home late at night.”