14 International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 8, 2017
It is tempting for researchers and clinicians to
succumb to the temptation to oversimplify the
experiences of former community members and
become part of the often polarised academic
debate between what have been called cult
apologists and cult bashers (Zablocki &
Robbins, 2001). It may, however, be important
to recognise that, although dysfunctional
communities have the potential to create
difficulties for adult life, they may also provide
former child members with some strengths and
capacities that they can draw on in this process.
While this cannot justify the abuse of children
that can and does occur in communities like
Centrepoint, it is an important consideration in
supporting and empowering the former child
members of such communities to tackle the
challenges they face in their lives. It may also
help former child members to resist stigmatised
representations. Allowing for the possibility of
both good and bad experiences as well as
advantages and disadvantages in adulthood may
give children who have grown up in such
communities the space to find meaning for
themselves out of the complex social
environment in which they spent their
childhood.
This research was approved by the Massey
University Human Ethics Committee: Southern
B, Application 07/59
Acknowledgements
This research was funded by The New Zealand
Communities Growth Trust and conducted under
the auspices of Massey University.
References
Anderson, S. L., &Betz, N. E. (2001). Sources of social self-
efficacy expectations: Their measurement and relation to career
development. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 58, 98–117.
Anthony, D., &Robbins, T. (2004). Conversion and
‘brainwashing’ in new religious movements. In J. R. Lewis (Ed.),
The Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements (pp. 317–
332). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Aronoff, J., Lynn, S. J., &Malinoski, P. (2000). Are cultic
environments psychologically harmful? Clinical Psychology
Review, 20(1), 91–111.
Aviezer, O., Van IJzendoorn, M. H., Sagi, A., &Schuengel, C.
(1994). “Children of the Dream” revisited: 70 years of collective
childrearing in Israeli kibbutzim. Psychological Bulletin, 116, 99–
116.
Beckford, J. A. (2003). The continuum between ‘cults’ and
‘normal’ religion. In L. Dawson (Ed.), Cults and New Religious
Movements (pp. 26–32). Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing.
Brown, L., &Gilligan, C. (1992). Meeting at the crossroads:
Women’s psychology and girl’s development. Cambridge, MA:
Harvard University Press.
Brown, L., &Gilligan, C. (1993). Meeting at the crossroads:
Women’s psychology and girl’s development. Feminism and
Psychology, 3(1), 11–35.
Buxant, C., Saroglou, V., Casalfiore, S., &Christians, L. (2007).
Cognitive and emotional characteristics of new religious
movement members: New questions and data on the mental health
issue. Mental Health, Religion and Culture, 10(3), 219–238.
Chambers, W. V., Langone, M. D., Dole, A. A., &Grice, J. W.
(1994). The Group Psychological Abuse Scale: A measure of the
varieties of cultic abuse. Cultic Studies Journal, 11(1), 88–117.
Conway, F., &Siegelman, J. (1995). Snapping: America’s
epidemic of sudden personality change (2nd ed.). New York, NY:
Stillpoint Press.
Crosson-Tower, C. (2005). Understanding child abuse and
neglect. (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Fergusson, D. M., Boden, J. M., &Horwood, L. J. (2008).
Exposure to childhood sexual and physical abuse and adjustment
in early adulthood. Child Abuse and Neglect, 32(6), 607–619.
Flouri, E., &Buchanan, A. (2002). The role of work-related skills
and career role models in adolescent career maturity. The Career
Development Quarterly, 51, 36–43.
Frazier, K. N., West-Olatunji, C. A., St. Juste, S., &Goodman, R.
D. (2009). Transgenerational trauma and child sexual abuse:
Reconceptualizing cases involving young survivors of CSA.
Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 32(1), 22–33.
Freckelton, I. (1998). “Cults,” calamities and psychological
consequences. Psychiatry, Psychology and Law. 5(1), 1–46.
Galanter, M. (1989). Cults and new religious movements.
Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
Gibson, K., Morgan, M., Woolley, C., &Powis, T. (2010). A
different kind of family: Retrospective accounts of growing up at
Centrepoint and implications for adulthood. Auckland, NZ:
Massey University.
Gibson, K., Morgan, M., Woolley, C., &Powis, T. (2011).
Growing up at Centrepoint: Retrospective accounts of childhood
spent at an intentional community. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse,
20(4), 413–434.
Gibson, K., &Morgan, M. (2013). Narrative research on child
sexual abuse: Addressing perennial problems in quantitative
research. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 10(3), 298–317.
Gilligan, C., Spencer, R., Weinberg, M., &Bertsch, T. (2003). On
the listening guide: A voice centred relational model. In P. M.
Camic, J. Rhodes &L. Yardley (Eds.), Qualitative research in
Psychology: Expanding perspectives in methodology and design
(pp. 157–172). Washington DC: American Psychological
Association.
Harvey, M. R., Mishler, E. G., Koenen, K., and Harney, P. A.
(2000). In the aftermath of sexual abuse: Making and remaking
meaning in narratives of trauma and recovery. Narrative Inquiry
10(2), 291–311.
It is tempting for researchers and clinicians to
succumb to the temptation to oversimplify the
experiences of former community members and
become part of the often polarised academic
debate between what have been called cult
apologists and cult bashers (Zablocki &
Robbins, 2001). It may, however, be important
to recognise that, although dysfunctional
communities have the potential to create
difficulties for adult life, they may also provide
former child members with some strengths and
capacities that they can draw on in this process.
While this cannot justify the abuse of children
that can and does occur in communities like
Centrepoint, it is an important consideration in
supporting and empowering the former child
members of such communities to tackle the
challenges they face in their lives. It may also
help former child members to resist stigmatised
representations. Allowing for the possibility of
both good and bad experiences as well as
advantages and disadvantages in adulthood may
give children who have grown up in such
communities the space to find meaning for
themselves out of the complex social
environment in which they spent their
childhood.
This research was approved by the Massey
University Human Ethics Committee: Southern
B, Application 07/59
Acknowledgements
This research was funded by The New Zealand
Communities Growth Trust and conducted under
the auspices of Massey University.
References
Anderson, S. L., &Betz, N. E. (2001). Sources of social self-
efficacy expectations: Their measurement and relation to career
development. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 58, 98–117.
Anthony, D., &Robbins, T. (2004). Conversion and
‘brainwashing’ in new religious movements. In J. R. Lewis (Ed.),
The Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements (pp. 317–
332). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Aronoff, J., Lynn, S. J., &Malinoski, P. (2000). Are cultic
environments psychologically harmful? Clinical Psychology
Review, 20(1), 91–111.
Aviezer, O., Van IJzendoorn, M. H., Sagi, A., &Schuengel, C.
(1994). “Children of the Dream” revisited: 70 years of collective
childrearing in Israeli kibbutzim. Psychological Bulletin, 116, 99–
116.
Beckford, J. A. (2003). The continuum between ‘cults’ and
‘normal’ religion. In L. Dawson (Ed.), Cults and New Religious
Movements (pp. 26–32). Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing.
Brown, L., &Gilligan, C. (1992). Meeting at the crossroads:
Women’s psychology and girl’s development. Cambridge, MA:
Harvard University Press.
Brown, L., &Gilligan, C. (1993). Meeting at the crossroads:
Women’s psychology and girl’s development. Feminism and
Psychology, 3(1), 11–35.
Buxant, C., Saroglou, V., Casalfiore, S., &Christians, L. (2007).
Cognitive and emotional characteristics of new religious
movement members: New questions and data on the mental health
issue. Mental Health, Religion and Culture, 10(3), 219–238.
Chambers, W. V., Langone, M. D., Dole, A. A., &Grice, J. W.
(1994). The Group Psychological Abuse Scale: A measure of the
varieties of cultic abuse. Cultic Studies Journal, 11(1), 88–117.
Conway, F., &Siegelman, J. (1995). Snapping: America’s
epidemic of sudden personality change (2nd ed.). New York, NY:
Stillpoint Press.
Crosson-Tower, C. (2005). Understanding child abuse and
neglect. (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Fergusson, D. M., Boden, J. M., &Horwood, L. J. (2008).
Exposure to childhood sexual and physical abuse and adjustment
in early adulthood. Child Abuse and Neglect, 32(6), 607–619.
Flouri, E., &Buchanan, A. (2002). The role of work-related skills
and career role models in adolescent career maturity. The Career
Development Quarterly, 51, 36–43.
Frazier, K. N., West-Olatunji, C. A., St. Juste, S., &Goodman, R.
D. (2009). Transgenerational trauma and child sexual abuse:
Reconceptualizing cases involving young survivors of CSA.
Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 32(1), 22–33.
Freckelton, I. (1998). “Cults,” calamities and psychological
consequences. Psychiatry, Psychology and Law. 5(1), 1–46.
Galanter, M. (1989). Cults and new religious movements.
Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
Gibson, K., Morgan, M., Woolley, C., &Powis, T. (2010). A
different kind of family: Retrospective accounts of growing up at
Centrepoint and implications for adulthood. Auckland, NZ:
Massey University.
Gibson, K., Morgan, M., Woolley, C., &Powis, T. (2011).
Growing up at Centrepoint: Retrospective accounts of childhood
spent at an intentional community. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse,
20(4), 413–434.
Gibson, K., &Morgan, M. (2013). Narrative research on child
sexual abuse: Addressing perennial problems in quantitative
research. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 10(3), 298–317.
Gilligan, C., Spencer, R., Weinberg, M., &Bertsch, T. (2003). On
the listening guide: A voice centred relational model. In P. M.
Camic, J. Rhodes &L. Yardley (Eds.), Qualitative research in
Psychology: Expanding perspectives in methodology and design
(pp. 157–172). Washington DC: American Psychological
Association.
Harvey, M. R., Mishler, E. G., Koenen, K., and Harney, P. A.
(2000). In the aftermath of sexual abuse: Making and remaking
meaning in narratives of trauma and recovery. Narrative Inquiry
10(2), 291–311.
