International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 8, 2017 1
Life After Centrepoint: Accounts of Adult Adjustment After Childhood Spent
at an Experimental Community
Kerry Gibson,i Mandy Morgan,ii Cheryl Wooley,ii and Tracey Powisii
i University of Auckland, ii Massey University
Reprinted by permission of New Zealand
Psychological Society, www.psychology.org.nz
Abstract
This study explores how former child members
of a controversial community, in which child
sexual abuse and drug use are known to have
occurred, account for the effects of this on their
adult lives. The narrative accounts of 29
participants were analyzed to identify key areas
of psychological adjustment they described after
leaving the New Zealand community known as
Centrepoint. Participants’ accounts highlighted
challenges in negotiating the initial transition,
family relationships, friendships and intimate
relationships, livelihoods, stigma and changing
belief systems. Themes within participants’
accounts reflect disadvantage and suffering as a
result of growing up at Centrepoint as well as
some advantages, also attributed to this
environment. While this research shows that
there may be some significant adjustments to be
made after childhood spent in such communities,
it also cautions against a polarized perspective
which focuses exclusively on either positive or
negative consequences of this kind of
experience.
New Religious Movements, Cults, Child
Sexual Abuse, Psychological Effects
Qualitative Methodology
Since the 1970s the psychological impact of
alternative communities, known popularly as
cults, have been the subject of considerable
discussion and debate (Aronoff, Lynn, &
Malinoski, 2000). Much of the existing research,
however, has focused on those who had joined
these groups as adults and less is known about
the consequences of this lifestyle for those who
grew up in these environments. This paper
explores how the former children of the
controversial New Zealand community,
Centrepoint, account for their adjustment to
adult life outside of it.
As Freckelton (1998) notes, there are differences
of opinion on almost all aspects of alternative
communities, including the terminology used to
describe them. Those who use the label of cult
generally see these communities as exercising a
malevolent control over their members and as
intrinsically harmful (Langone, 1993). But
recent researchers have challenged assumptions
that these communities are necessarily
problematic and choose to call them New
Religious Movements (NRMs) for groups with
shared sets of beliefs (Beckford, 2003) or
intentional communities, which specifically refer
to residential groups who hold a shared set of
values (Sargisson &Sargent, 1994). We
preferred to use the more neutral term
community in our research in order to the respect
potential participants’ potential sensitivities
around these labels.
Not surprisingly, the clinical and research
literature on the psychological effects of
cults/NRMs reflects the diverse perspectives
suggested by the different terms. The research
on cults has noted significant psychological
difficulties in former members, including
symptoms such as anxiety, anger, low self-
confidence, flashbacks, depression, guilt,
dissociation, passivity, psychosis, and also a
unique experience of confusion that has been
described as floating (Conway &Siegelman,
1995 Martin, 1993 Singer &Lalich, 1995
Singer &Ofshe, 1990). These psychological
difficulties are described as being the
consequence of manipulation, loss of control,
and other forms of maltreatment that occur in
cults (Langone, 1993 Singer &Lalich, 1995).
While adverse experiences in cults are thought
to have negative impacts on former members’
Life After Centrepoint: Accounts of Adult Adjustment After Childhood Spent
at an Experimental Community
Kerry Gibson,i Mandy Morgan,ii Cheryl Wooley,ii and Tracey Powisii
i University of Auckland, ii Massey University
Reprinted by permission of New Zealand
Psychological Society, www.psychology.org.nz
Abstract
This study explores how former child members
of a controversial community, in which child
sexual abuse and drug use are known to have
occurred, account for the effects of this on their
adult lives. The narrative accounts of 29
participants were analyzed to identify key areas
of psychological adjustment they described after
leaving the New Zealand community known as
Centrepoint. Participants’ accounts highlighted
challenges in negotiating the initial transition,
family relationships, friendships and intimate
relationships, livelihoods, stigma and changing
belief systems. Themes within participants’
accounts reflect disadvantage and suffering as a
result of growing up at Centrepoint as well as
some advantages, also attributed to this
environment. While this research shows that
there may be some significant adjustments to be
made after childhood spent in such communities,
it also cautions against a polarized perspective
which focuses exclusively on either positive or
negative consequences of this kind of
experience.
New Religious Movements, Cults, Child
Sexual Abuse, Psychological Effects
Qualitative Methodology
Since the 1970s the psychological impact of
alternative communities, known popularly as
cults, have been the subject of considerable
discussion and debate (Aronoff, Lynn, &
Malinoski, 2000). Much of the existing research,
however, has focused on those who had joined
these groups as adults and less is known about
the consequences of this lifestyle for those who
grew up in these environments. This paper
explores how the former children of the
controversial New Zealand community,
Centrepoint, account for their adjustment to
adult life outside of it.
As Freckelton (1998) notes, there are differences
of opinion on almost all aspects of alternative
communities, including the terminology used to
describe them. Those who use the label of cult
generally see these communities as exercising a
malevolent control over their members and as
intrinsically harmful (Langone, 1993). But
recent researchers have challenged assumptions
that these communities are necessarily
problematic and choose to call them New
Religious Movements (NRMs) for groups with
shared sets of beliefs (Beckford, 2003) or
intentional communities, which specifically refer
to residential groups who hold a shared set of
values (Sargisson &Sargent, 1994). We
preferred to use the more neutral term
community in our research in order to the respect
potential participants’ potential sensitivities
around these labels.
Not surprisingly, the clinical and research
literature on the psychological effects of
cults/NRMs reflects the diverse perspectives
suggested by the different terms. The research
on cults has noted significant psychological
difficulties in former members, including
symptoms such as anxiety, anger, low self-
confidence, flashbacks, depression, guilt,
dissociation, passivity, psychosis, and also a
unique experience of confusion that has been
described as floating (Conway &Siegelman,
1995 Martin, 1993 Singer &Lalich, 1995
Singer &Ofshe, 1990). These psychological
difficulties are described as being the
consequence of manipulation, loss of control,
and other forms of maltreatment that occur in
cults (Langone, 1993 Singer &Lalich, 1995).
While adverse experiences in cults are thought
to have negative impacts on former members’
