8 International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 9, 2018
control is one that our courts have trouble
accepting.
88F
89
2. Behavior Control, Emotional Control, and
Information Control
Related to mind control is control of one’s
behavior, emotions, and information.
Destructive cults may control behavior by
assigning specific tasks for followers to do.
Often, followers must ask permission for basic
daily occurrences, such as asking for bus fare.
89F
90
Guilt and fear are tools of the cult leader.
90F
91
What is outside—authorities, the devil (evil)—
will result in your eternal life in hell. The leaders
themselves can harm you if you do not follow
their rules.
91F
92 Punishment is threatened.
92F
93
A hallmark of destructive cults is information
control. Many cults restrict access to news
events of the outside world.
93F
94 The members may
have limited information about what is
happening within their own organization.
94F
95 If
the cult is located in a remote geographical
setting, then isolation from the public and the
media can be acute.
95F
96 However, even where
cults exist in urban areas, members may be
restricted from interacting with outsiders.
96F
97
Thus, there is physical as well as psychological
isolation.
97F
98
Isolation is sometimes used in combination with
other forms of punishment.
98F
99 In a lesser-known
cult called “The Love of God Community,”
which was formed in 1970 and disbanded ten
years later, cult members were expected to read
89 See id. at 111.
90 See id. at 117.
91 See Alvaro Rodriguez-Carballeira et al., Preliminary Taxonomy
of Psychological Abuse Strategies: Within Partner Relationships,
at the Workplace, and in Manipulative Groups, 4 INT’L J. CULTIC
STUD. 1, 7 &tbls. I−III (2013) (providing analysis and
classification of abuse strategies).
92 See HASSAN, supra note 55, at 117−18.
93 See id. at 96−98, 125.
94 Id. at 119.
95 See id. at 118−20.
96 Id. at 119.
97 Id.
98 Telephone Interview with Mike Kropveld, Executive Director
of Info-Secte Cult (Aug. 8, 2015).
99 See generally Rodriguez-Carballeira et al., supra note 77
(isolation as a category in group context).
ten chapters of the Bible every day, along with
other Christian books.
99F
100 Members who failed to
comply were physically punished or not spoken
to for days.
100F
101 Eventually, the private beatings
intensified to public flogging with a hairbrush
and bamboo cane.
101F
102 The cult’s leader ordered
other members to publicly beat each other,
which led to paranoia and fear.
102F
103 This
combination of isolation, paranoia, and fear
contributed to leader’s ability to exert undue
influence on the members.
Women are treated differently than men in most
cults, and they are often subjected to worse
abuse.
103F
104 The treatment of women runs the
gamut in cults from forced celibacy to
prostitution.
104F
105 Leaders often manipulate women
into engaging in sexual relations by describing
the acts as a form of honor or duty.
105F
106 This
pattern of sexual abuse applies to children as
well. Paul Schaefer, founder of a notorious cult,
emigrated from Germany, taking post-World
War II German immigrants with him.
106F
107 He set
up an orphanage outside of Santiago in Chile
(establishing “Colonia Dignidad”), which
functioned as a cult. He subjected children,
particularly the girls, to sexual abuse and
torture.
107F
108 Schaefer was later convicted and
sentenced to twenty years in prison for sexually
abusing children in the cult.
108F
109 German-born
Harmut Hoppe was convicted as an accomplice
to rape and sexual abuse for crimes he
committed at Colonia Dignidad.
109F
110
100 See Gille Jenkinson, Cult Pseudo-Creativity vs. Creativity in
Recovery, 9 CULTIC STUD. REV. 135, 138 (2010).
101 See id.
102 See id.
103 See id.
104 See Schwartz, supra note 13, at 89−91.
105 Id. at 60.
106 See id. at 89.
107 Decoding the Past, supra note 77. See also News Summaries, 5
CULTIC STUD. REV. 308 (2006).
108 Decoding the Past, supra note 77. See also News Summaries, 5
CULTIC STUD. REV. 308 (2006).
109 See INT’L CULTIC STUD. ASS’N., Colonia Dignidad,
www.icsahome.com/groups /coloniadignidad (last visited May 10,
2016).
110 Id.
control is one that our courts have trouble
accepting.
88F
89
2. Behavior Control, Emotional Control, and
Information Control
Related to mind control is control of one’s
behavior, emotions, and information.
Destructive cults may control behavior by
assigning specific tasks for followers to do.
Often, followers must ask permission for basic
daily occurrences, such as asking for bus fare.
89F
90
Guilt and fear are tools of the cult leader.
90F
91
What is outside—authorities, the devil (evil)—
will result in your eternal life in hell. The leaders
themselves can harm you if you do not follow
their rules.
91F
92 Punishment is threatened.
92F
93
A hallmark of destructive cults is information
control. Many cults restrict access to news
events of the outside world.
93F
94 The members may
have limited information about what is
happening within their own organization.
94F
95 If
the cult is located in a remote geographical
setting, then isolation from the public and the
media can be acute.
95F
96 However, even where
cults exist in urban areas, members may be
restricted from interacting with outsiders.
96F
97
Thus, there is physical as well as psychological
isolation.
97F
98
Isolation is sometimes used in combination with
other forms of punishment.
98F
99 In a lesser-known
cult called “The Love of God Community,”
which was formed in 1970 and disbanded ten
years later, cult members were expected to read
89 See id. at 111.
90 See id. at 117.
91 See Alvaro Rodriguez-Carballeira et al., Preliminary Taxonomy
of Psychological Abuse Strategies: Within Partner Relationships,
at the Workplace, and in Manipulative Groups, 4 INT’L J. CULTIC
STUD. 1, 7 &tbls. I−III (2013) (providing analysis and
classification of abuse strategies).
92 See HASSAN, supra note 55, at 117−18.
93 See id. at 96−98, 125.
94 Id. at 119.
95 See id. at 118−20.
96 Id. at 119.
97 Id.
98 Telephone Interview with Mike Kropveld, Executive Director
of Info-Secte Cult (Aug. 8, 2015).
99 See generally Rodriguez-Carballeira et al., supra note 77
(isolation as a category in group context).
ten chapters of the Bible every day, along with
other Christian books.
99F
100 Members who failed to
comply were physically punished or not spoken
to for days.
100F
101 Eventually, the private beatings
intensified to public flogging with a hairbrush
and bamboo cane.
101F
102 The cult’s leader ordered
other members to publicly beat each other,
which led to paranoia and fear.
102F
103 This
combination of isolation, paranoia, and fear
contributed to leader’s ability to exert undue
influence on the members.
Women are treated differently than men in most
cults, and they are often subjected to worse
abuse.
103F
104 The treatment of women runs the
gamut in cults from forced celibacy to
prostitution.
104F
105 Leaders often manipulate women
into engaging in sexual relations by describing
the acts as a form of honor or duty.
105F
106 This
pattern of sexual abuse applies to children as
well. Paul Schaefer, founder of a notorious cult,
emigrated from Germany, taking post-World
War II German immigrants with him.
106F
107 He set
up an orphanage outside of Santiago in Chile
(establishing “Colonia Dignidad”), which
functioned as a cult. He subjected children,
particularly the girls, to sexual abuse and
torture.
107F
108 Schaefer was later convicted and
sentenced to twenty years in prison for sexually
abusing children in the cult.
108F
109 German-born
Harmut Hoppe was convicted as an accomplice
to rape and sexual abuse for crimes he
committed at Colonia Dignidad.
109F
110
100 See Gille Jenkinson, Cult Pseudo-Creativity vs. Creativity in
Recovery, 9 CULTIC STUD. REV. 135, 138 (2010).
101 See id.
102 See id.
103 See id.
104 See Schwartz, supra note 13, at 89−91.
105 Id. at 60.
106 See id. at 89.
107 Decoding the Past, supra note 77. See also News Summaries, 5
CULTIC STUD. REV. 308 (2006).
108 Decoding the Past, supra note 77. See also News Summaries, 5
CULTIC STUD. REV. 308 (2006).
109 See INT’L CULTIC STUD. ASS’N., Colonia Dignidad,
www.icsahome.com/groups /coloniadignidad (last visited May 10,
2016).
110 Id.
