Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 2, No. 3, 2003, Page 63
Electronic Version
Additional documents were published on www.culticstudiesreview.org at the time of the
print version.
2002 Report
Attention and Research on Social Addictions (AIS)
Editor's Note: We share this report with our readers in order that they may better
appreciate the professionalism and depth of experience of our colleagues in Barcelona. We
thank AIS. for translating their report into English. A.I.S. used to be known as
Asesoramiento e Informacion sobre Sectas, but is now know as Attention and Research on
Social Addictions. A.I.S. is located at Diagonal 430, 1º 1ª, Barcelona 08008, Spain. Its
Web site is: www.ais-sectas.org.
Purpose of the Association
The purpose of AIS is to widen the knowledge and social, health, legal and preventive
response of anomalies caused by social-addictions, understood as dependence disorders
not linked to the intake of chemical substances.
Services
1. Information and advice:
 Telephone information service directed to:
General public interested in the phenomenon.
Target public.
 Acceptance and advice for people affected:
Sufferers with general information requests or regarding specific groups.
If necessary, connect with experts like lawyers, psychiatrists, social workers,
Minor Protection Unit and police forces, among others, that may help to solve the
problem in those situations going beyond the services directly offered by the
Institution.
2. Information campaigns and participation in the media.
3. Prevention campaigns (civic centres, schools and secondary education institutes,
associations of parents of pupils (AMPAS).
4. Research and training of students (practical work) and professionals (doctoral theses) in
collaboration with university centres, foundations, and other teaching centers.
5. Preparation and publication of scientific and technical studies regarding the phenomenon.
6. Therapeutic aid to family members, addicts and ex-addicts.
7. Legal advice related to the phenomenon.
8. Documentation: an archive is available with 13.260 documents, a library with 1.021 books,
150 videos and 700 audiotapes corresponding to 122 identified groups working in our
country and 422 groups under observation.

Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 2, No. 3, 2003, Page 64
Organisation
The Association is directed and administered by a presidency and the board (voluntary
posts, without compensation and selected by vote in the members assembly).
AIS activity is divided as follows:
 Information service (1 clinical psychologist and 1 webmaster).
 Therapeutic service (1 doctor, 1 clinical psychologist and 1 psychiatrist)
 Legal service (1 lawyer).
 Documentation service (1 documentation expert and 1 assistant)
 Administration (1 clerk)
 Scholarship holders and students doing practical work: coming from the Faculties of
Psychology, Sociology, Law, and Journalism.
 Volunteers: developing support tasks in the different departments.
Summary of Activities Performed by AIS during 2002
At an Institutional Level
 For the second year running, the Collaboration Agreement between AIS and the
Ministries of Presidency, Social Welfare, Justice and Home Office, Health and Social
Security, Home Affairs and Institutional Relations, Employment, Universities,
Research and the Information Society of the Autonomous Government of Catalonia,
was renewed, the aim being the encouragement of actions of a social, preventive,
training, and informative nature related to our institution‘s activities.
 As a consultant institution, AIS participates in the creation of the Interdepartmental
Commission for the Study and Follow-up of the situation of psychologically
manipulative groups in Catalonia, in compliance with an agreement of the Catalonian
Parliament. This Commission, presided by the General Youth Secretary and
integrated by the Conselleries (Ministries) of the Autonomous Government of
Catalonia, referred to in the previous section, the College of Psychologists and other
experts, was incorporated on October 29th 2002.
 At a local level, contacts and exchanges have been made with those responsible for
social welfare and other Departments (Culture, Personal Services) of different
Catalonian and Spanish Town Halls.
 AIS has contacted different Catalonian political groups providing information of the
work performed and about psychological manipulation groups.
At the University Level
 Within the collaborative framework with the Autonomous University of Barcelona, the
study ―Research Work on the Legal Implications of the Psychologically Manipulative
Group Phenomenon‖ completed by a group of researchers from the civil, penal, and
international departments of the Law Faculty has been finished, the final document
having being submitted.
Relation with Public Institutions
 The Civil Rights Department of Barcelona Town Hall has financed an information and
prevention campaign, consisting of the distribution of printed material published by
AIS and directed to young people using the civic and cultural centers and youth
associations of Barcelona.