International Journal of Cultic Studies Vol. 4, 2013 11
the person suffering the abuse, either to the
group authority, or to the spouse or abuser
partner. In both cases, the relationships also are
ones in which the establishment of an intimate
tie prevails. Mobbing reflects a significant
difference because the relationship is less
intimate and the objective is usually the
exclusion of the worker. In the work
environment, emotional-abuse forms appear not
to be so extensive, and in most situations the
categories of the control of personal life and the
imposition of beliefs are less applicable. The
common grounds of abuse the three areas share
appear to be the search for isolation of the
person, the intervention in the possible variables
of the person’s immediate environment, and
emotional abuse of the person.
The attempt for an exhaustive approach to
develop each of the three categorizations enables
their use as guidelines for those evaluating the
application or not of psychological abuse in one
of the three areas here studied. When we are
talking about psychological abuse (harassing,
intimidation, etc.), it entails a systematic and
continuous application of the abuse strategies,
wherein it will be necessary to check the
number, intensity and frequency of use. Future
investigations should continue studying the
phenomenon of psychological abuse per se and
in its different applications to introduce
improvements in the definition, assessment, and
its general knowledge.
References
Almendros, C., Carrobles, J. A., Rodríguez-Carballeira, A., &
Jansà, J. M. (2004). Propiedades psicométricas de la versión
española de la Group Psychological Abuse Scale para la medida de
abuso psicológico en contextos grupales. Psicothema, 16, 132–
138.
Andersen, S. M. (1983). Identifying coercion and deception in
social systems. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the
American Association for the Advancement of Science, Section
K, Logan (Utah).
Andersen, S. M., Boulette, T. R., &Schwartz, A. H. (1991).
Psychological maltreatment of spouses. In R. T. Ammerman &M.
Hersen (Eds.). Case studies in family violence (pp. 293–327). New
York, NY: Plenum Press.
Arias, I., &Pape, K. T. (1999). Psychological abuse: Implications
for adjustment and commitment to leave violent partners. Violence
&Victims, 14, 55–67.
Ashforth, B. E. (1994). Petty tyranny in organizations. Human
Relations, 47, 755–778.
Auburn, P. R. (2003). Towards an operational definition of
psychological maltreatment of children. Dissertation Abstracts
International Section A: Humanities &Social Sciences, 64 (6-A),
1967.
Barea, C. (2004). Manual para mujeres maltratadas que quieren
dejar de serlo: detectar y prevenir la violencia de género.
Barcelona: Océano Ámbar.
Biderman, A. D., &Zimmer, H. (1961). Manipulation of human
behavior. New York, NY: Wiley.
Boada, J. G., De Diego, R. V., &Virgil, A. C. (2003). Mobbing:
análisis de las propiedades psicométricas y estructura factorial de
cuatro escalas (MOBB-90 MobbCF-21 MobbCG-15 MobbCS-
28). Encuentros en Psicología Social, 1, 26–31.
Bohm, J., &Alison, L. (2001). An exploratory study in methods of
distinguishing destructive cults. Psychology, Crime &Law, 7,
133–165.
Bonino, L. (1995). Desvelando los micromachismos en la vida
conyugal. In J. Corsi, (Ed.). Violencia masculina en la pareja. Una
aproximación al diagnóstico y a los modelos de intervención, (pp.
192–208). Buenos Aires, Argentina: Paidós.
Borjesson, W. I., Aarons, G. A., &Dunn, M. E. (2003).
Development and confirmatory factor analysis of the Abuse Within
Intimate Relationship Scale. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 18,
295–309.
Boulette, T. R. (1980). The marital brainwashing syndrome.
Presented at the American Psychological Association Convention,
Los Angeles, CA.
Boulette, T. R., &Andersen, S. M. (1985). “Mind control” and the
battering of women. Community Mental Health Journal, 21, 109–
118.
Clark, J. G., Langone, M. D., Schecter, R. E., &Daly, R. C. B.
(1981). Destructive cult conversion: Theory, research and
treatment. Weston, MA: American Family Foundation.
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, 88–117.
Echeburúa, E. (1994). Personalidades violentas. Madrid, Spain:
Pirámide.
Egeland, B., &Erickson, M. (1987). Psychologically unavailable
caregiving. In M. R. Brassard, R. Germain, &S. N. Hart (Eds.).
Psychological maltreatment of children and youth, (pp. 110–120).
New York, NY: Pergamon Press.
Einarsen, S., &Raknes, B. I. (1997). Harassment at work and the
victimization of men. Violence and Victims, 12, 247–263.
Einarsein, S., Raknes, B., &Matthiesen, S. (1994). Bullying and
harassment at work and their relationships to work environment
quality: An exploratory study. The European Work and
Organizational Psychologist, 4, 381–401.
Escartín, J., Arrieta, C., &Rodríguez-Carballeira, A. (2009).
Mobbing o acoso laboral: Revisión de los principales aspectos
teórico-metodológicos que dificultan su estudio. Actualidades en
Psicología, 23–24(110), 1–19.
Escartín, J., Rodríguez-Carballeira, A., Gómez-Benito, J., &Zapf,
D. (2010). Development and Validation of the Workplace Bullying
Scale EAPA-T. International Journal of Clinical and Health
Psychology, 10(3), 519–539.
Fendrich, M., Woodword, P., &Richman, J. A. (2002). The
structure of harassment and abuse in the workplace: A factorial
comparison of two measures. Violence and Victims, 17, 491–505.
the person suffering the abuse, either to the
group authority, or to the spouse or abuser
partner. In both cases, the relationships also are
ones in which the establishment of an intimate
tie prevails. Mobbing reflects a significant
difference because the relationship is less
intimate and the objective is usually the
exclusion of the worker. In the work
environment, emotional-abuse forms appear not
to be so extensive, and in most situations the
categories of the control of personal life and the
imposition of beliefs are less applicable. The
common grounds of abuse the three areas share
appear to be the search for isolation of the
person, the intervention in the possible variables
of the person’s immediate environment, and
emotional abuse of the person.
The attempt for an exhaustive approach to
develop each of the three categorizations enables
their use as guidelines for those evaluating the
application or not of psychological abuse in one
of the three areas here studied. When we are
talking about psychological abuse (harassing,
intimidation, etc.), it entails a systematic and
continuous application of the abuse strategies,
wherein it will be necessary to check the
number, intensity and frequency of use. Future
investigations should continue studying the
phenomenon of psychological abuse per se and
in its different applications to introduce
improvements in the definition, assessment, and
its general knowledge.
References
Almendros, C., Carrobles, J. A., Rodríguez-Carballeira, A., &
Jansà, J. M. (2004). Propiedades psicométricas de la versión
española de la Group Psychological Abuse Scale para la medida de
abuso psicológico en contextos grupales. Psicothema, 16, 132–
138.
Andersen, S. M. (1983). Identifying coercion and deception in
social systems. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the
American Association for the Advancement of Science, Section
K, Logan (Utah).
Andersen, S. M., Boulette, T. R., &Schwartz, A. H. (1991).
Psychological maltreatment of spouses. In R. T. Ammerman &M.
Hersen (Eds.). Case studies in family violence (pp. 293–327). New
York, NY: Plenum Press.
Arias, I., &Pape, K. T. (1999). Psychological abuse: Implications
for adjustment and commitment to leave violent partners. Violence
&Victims, 14, 55–67.
Ashforth, B. E. (1994). Petty tyranny in organizations. Human
Relations, 47, 755–778.
Auburn, P. R. (2003). Towards an operational definition of
psychological maltreatment of children. Dissertation Abstracts
International Section A: Humanities &Social Sciences, 64 (6-A),
1967.
Barea, C. (2004). Manual para mujeres maltratadas que quieren
dejar de serlo: detectar y prevenir la violencia de género.
Barcelona: Océano Ámbar.
Biderman, A. D., &Zimmer, H. (1961). Manipulation of human
behavior. New York, NY: Wiley.
Boada, J. G., De Diego, R. V., &Virgil, A. C. (2003). Mobbing:
análisis de las propiedades psicométricas y estructura factorial de
cuatro escalas (MOBB-90 MobbCF-21 MobbCG-15 MobbCS-
28). Encuentros en Psicología Social, 1, 26–31.
Bohm, J., &Alison, L. (2001). An exploratory study in methods of
distinguishing destructive cults. Psychology, Crime &Law, 7,
133–165.
Bonino, L. (1995). Desvelando los micromachismos en la vida
conyugal. In J. Corsi, (Ed.). Violencia masculina en la pareja. Una
aproximación al diagnóstico y a los modelos de intervención, (pp.
192–208). Buenos Aires, Argentina: Paidós.
Borjesson, W. I., Aarons, G. A., &Dunn, M. E. (2003).
Development and confirmatory factor analysis of the Abuse Within
Intimate Relationship Scale. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 18,
295–309.
Boulette, T. R. (1980). The marital brainwashing syndrome.
Presented at the American Psychological Association Convention,
Los Angeles, CA.
Boulette, T. R., &Andersen, S. M. (1985). “Mind control” and the
battering of women. Community Mental Health Journal, 21, 109–
118.
Clark, J. G., Langone, M. D., Schecter, R. E., &Daly, R. C. B.
(1981). Destructive cult conversion: Theory, research and
treatment. Weston, MA: American Family Foundation.
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, 88–117.
Echeburúa, E. (1994). Personalidades violentas. Madrid, Spain:
Pirámide.
Egeland, B., &Erickson, M. (1987). Psychologically unavailable
caregiving. In M. R. Brassard, R. Germain, &S. N. Hart (Eds.).
Psychological maltreatment of children and youth, (pp. 110–120).
New York, NY: Pergamon Press.
Einarsen, S., &Raknes, B. I. (1997). Harassment at work and the
victimization of men. Violence and Victims, 12, 247–263.
Einarsein, S., Raknes, B., &Matthiesen, S. (1994). Bullying and
harassment at work and their relationships to work environment
quality: An exploratory study. The European Work and
Organizational Psychologist, 4, 381–401.
Escartín, J., Arrieta, C., &Rodríguez-Carballeira, A. (2009).
Mobbing o acoso laboral: Revisión de los principales aspectos
teórico-metodológicos que dificultan su estudio. Actualidades en
Psicología, 23–24(110), 1–19.
Escartín, J., Rodríguez-Carballeira, A., Gómez-Benito, J., &Zapf,
D. (2010). Development and Validation of the Workplace Bullying
Scale EAPA-T. International Journal of Clinical and Health
Psychology, 10(3), 519–539.
Fendrich, M., Woodword, P., &Richman, J. A. (2002). The
structure of harassment and abuse in the workplace: A factorial
comparison of two measures. Violence and Victims, 17, 491–505.
