54 International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 1, No. 1, 2010
shall follow a model proposed before for cults
(Rodríguez-Carballeira, et al., 2005), which
classifies into six types the strategies of
psychological abuse or methods of group
influence, which take on broad elements of
control, manipulation and coercion, amongst
others.
Isolation
The strategy of maintaining the person isolated
in his/her environment and maintaining as much
direct contact as possible with the members of
the group is one of the basic mechanisms by
which cults establish their influence. Isolating
subjects from their family environment, from
their circle of friends, and from their network of
social support is to put them in a situation of
greater vulnerability and influence over them.
This strategy carried out by some cults facilitates
the process of resocialization of subjects with
respect to their life, environment, and previous
framework of reference, in order to then lead to
a process of change and begin to resocialize
them anew in the heart of the group (Schein,
Schneier, and Barker, 1961).
In the case of terrorist groups we should
distinguish between two scenarios of analysis:
that which takes place prior to the subject
joining the group, and that which occurs after
joining. In the latter scenario, once the subject
forms part of the group, he/she will be cocooned
from society (at least psychologically), which
will condition and limit all of his/her interaction
with the exterior. Therefore, it is the group, in
this climate of an isolated bubble, which has
more ability to influence and determine his/her
life, making it difficult for critical ideas to arise
or for him/her to consider leaving or deserting
the group.
If the analysis is centred on the scenario prior to
the subject joining the terrorist group, it can be
seen how the situation of isolation in most
groups takes place gradually. In fact, in those
groups with a clear social base from which most
terrorists come, this social environment can
already form a rather closed circle, with a radical
ideology or doctrine that is generally of a
minority character. Hence, those who grow up or
are socialised in this environment do so in
surroundings that tend toward ideological
uniformity.
In fact, different studies show, as discussed by
De la Corte et al. (2007), that a great many of
the members of ETA, the Red Brigades, and the
IRA are born and grow up in families that
respectively belong to the Basque nationalist
(Reinares, 2001 Romero, 2006), Irish catholic
(Lee, 1983), and Italian left-wing traditions
(Della Porta, 1990). In a study on Jihad groups,
Sageman (2004) notes that friendship was the
main cause of connection for 68% of members
(as was the case with those involved in 11th
September attacks in the United States and 11th
March attacks in Madrid), while family relatives
accounted for 14%. This data is a good example
of what McCauley (2007) calls the “power of
comrades” in contrast to the “power of the
cause.” This power of comrades is a reflection
that the initiative to bond new people to the
group is often done by those who from inside
attempt to contact and sign up other members
and they begin, as is logical, with those on
whom they can exercise most influence: their
relatives and friends. Moreover, relatives and
friends can be most trusted to keep the secret of
the offer from the security forces. This necessary
clandestine nature of terrorist recruitment is an
example of the situation of isolation and
secretism in which the person contacted must
decide, with it being very probable that the offer
which he/she receives is neither neutral nor
impartial, but which rather attempts to influence
him/her with a line of argument that includes
elements of coercive pressure, which will
help/push him/her to take the step requested.
Control and Manipulation of Information
One of the strategies commonly employed by
cults is the control over information reaching the
member in an attempt to prevent him/her from
having access to any contents that could make
him/her question the bond. The intention is to
make the cult itself the only source of reliable
information for the member, and so have a
monopoly on information, something that is
more difficult to achieve if the person is not
living in a community.
Life in any closed group often promotes this
mechanism of security, which is aimed at
shall follow a model proposed before for cults
(Rodríguez-Carballeira, et al., 2005), which
classifies into six types the strategies of
psychological abuse or methods of group
influence, which take on broad elements of
control, manipulation and coercion, amongst
others.
Isolation
The strategy of maintaining the person isolated
in his/her environment and maintaining as much
direct contact as possible with the members of
the group is one of the basic mechanisms by
which cults establish their influence. Isolating
subjects from their family environment, from
their circle of friends, and from their network of
social support is to put them in a situation of
greater vulnerability and influence over them.
This strategy carried out by some cults facilitates
the process of resocialization of subjects with
respect to their life, environment, and previous
framework of reference, in order to then lead to
a process of change and begin to resocialize
them anew in the heart of the group (Schein,
Schneier, and Barker, 1961).
In the case of terrorist groups we should
distinguish between two scenarios of analysis:
that which takes place prior to the subject
joining the group, and that which occurs after
joining. In the latter scenario, once the subject
forms part of the group, he/she will be cocooned
from society (at least psychologically), which
will condition and limit all of his/her interaction
with the exterior. Therefore, it is the group, in
this climate of an isolated bubble, which has
more ability to influence and determine his/her
life, making it difficult for critical ideas to arise
or for him/her to consider leaving or deserting
the group.
If the analysis is centred on the scenario prior to
the subject joining the terrorist group, it can be
seen how the situation of isolation in most
groups takes place gradually. In fact, in those
groups with a clear social base from which most
terrorists come, this social environment can
already form a rather closed circle, with a radical
ideology or doctrine that is generally of a
minority character. Hence, those who grow up or
are socialised in this environment do so in
surroundings that tend toward ideological
uniformity.
In fact, different studies show, as discussed by
De la Corte et al. (2007), that a great many of
the members of ETA, the Red Brigades, and the
IRA are born and grow up in families that
respectively belong to the Basque nationalist
(Reinares, 2001 Romero, 2006), Irish catholic
(Lee, 1983), and Italian left-wing traditions
(Della Porta, 1990). In a study on Jihad groups,
Sageman (2004) notes that friendship was the
main cause of connection for 68% of members
(as was the case with those involved in 11th
September attacks in the United States and 11th
March attacks in Madrid), while family relatives
accounted for 14%. This data is a good example
of what McCauley (2007) calls the “power of
comrades” in contrast to the “power of the
cause.” This power of comrades is a reflection
that the initiative to bond new people to the
group is often done by those who from inside
attempt to contact and sign up other members
and they begin, as is logical, with those on
whom they can exercise most influence: their
relatives and friends. Moreover, relatives and
friends can be most trusted to keep the secret of
the offer from the security forces. This necessary
clandestine nature of terrorist recruitment is an
example of the situation of isolation and
secretism in which the person contacted must
decide, with it being very probable that the offer
which he/she receives is neither neutral nor
impartial, but which rather attempts to influence
him/her with a line of argument that includes
elements of coercive pressure, which will
help/push him/her to take the step requested.
Control and Manipulation of Information
One of the strategies commonly employed by
cults is the control over information reaching the
member in an attempt to prevent him/her from
having access to any contents that could make
him/her question the bond. The intention is to
make the cult itself the only source of reliable
information for the member, and so have a
monopoly on information, something that is
more difficult to achieve if the person is not
living in a community.
Life in any closed group often promotes this
mechanism of security, which is aimed at
