Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 5, No. 2, 2006, Page 79
approach to assisting families and former members is to provide training and consultation to
helpers. It is also important to articulate more clearly than has thus far occurred ways to
help families to improve communication and decrease conflict with loved ones involved in
cultic or extremist groups.
Recommendation 9
Cultic studies experts need to establish mechanisms to ensure that programs on
helping former and current group members and their parents are regularly presented
at conferences and meetings of the various professional associations and cult watch
organizations.
Recommendation 10
Cultic studies experts need to expand the number and geographical range of
workshops designed to provide concrete assistance to families and former group
members.
Recommendation 11
Cultic studies experts need to develop mechanisms for providing consultation to
helping professionals who provide services to families and former or current group
members.
Recommendation 12
Cultic studies experts need to more clearly articulate strategies for decreasing
conflict in families, most of whom, for various reasons, cannot realistically pursue a
strategy of exit counseling.
Recommendations 9 through 12 call for an expansion of what the International Cultic
Studies Association and other cult watch organizations have done over the years. However,
with regard to Jihadism, it will be necessary to develop relationships with various Muslim
community and religious organizations so that Muslim communities can develop educational
and assistance mechanisms designed to help Muslim families and former group members,
and Muslim community, religious, and educational institutions.
Recommendation 13
Cultic studies experts should reach out to Muslim religious and community
organizations to identify the ways in which the former can work with the latter to
devise strategies to protect and help Muslim youth who are or might become
attracted to cultic and extremist groups.
Law Enforcement
Law enforcement traditionally has had a narrow focus on prosecuting criminals. However,
the terrorism of recent years has injected elements of prevention and preemption into law
enforcement, which have been a challenge to organizational cultures, such as the United
States‘ FBI. Cultic studies experts may be helpful to law enforcement (including homeland
security) in one or more of the following ways:
Provide a monitoring function regarding extremist and cultic groups by
strengthening, expanding, and training the large international network of—mostly
volunteer—cult watch organizations (see Kropveld, 2003). To work properly and
ethically, monitoring should be part of a broader research agenda. Just as mental
health professionals and researchers might be legally and/or ethically obligated to
notify law enforcement when they learn of child abuse, so cult watch organizations
could be helped to develop appropriate protocols for determining when law
enforcement should be notified concerning the actions of extremist or cultic groups.
approach to assisting families and former members is to provide training and consultation to
helpers. It is also important to articulate more clearly than has thus far occurred ways to
help families to improve communication and decrease conflict with loved ones involved in
cultic or extremist groups.
Recommendation 9
Cultic studies experts need to establish mechanisms to ensure that programs on
helping former and current group members and their parents are regularly presented
at conferences and meetings of the various professional associations and cult watch
organizations.
Recommendation 10
Cultic studies experts need to expand the number and geographical range of
workshops designed to provide concrete assistance to families and former group
members.
Recommendation 11
Cultic studies experts need to develop mechanisms for providing consultation to
helping professionals who provide services to families and former or current group
members.
Recommendation 12
Cultic studies experts need to more clearly articulate strategies for decreasing
conflict in families, most of whom, for various reasons, cannot realistically pursue a
strategy of exit counseling.
Recommendations 9 through 12 call for an expansion of what the International Cultic
Studies Association and other cult watch organizations have done over the years. However,
with regard to Jihadism, it will be necessary to develop relationships with various Muslim
community and religious organizations so that Muslim communities can develop educational
and assistance mechanisms designed to help Muslim families and former group members,
and Muslim community, religious, and educational institutions.
Recommendation 13
Cultic studies experts should reach out to Muslim religious and community
organizations to identify the ways in which the former can work with the latter to
devise strategies to protect and help Muslim youth who are or might become
attracted to cultic and extremist groups.
Law Enforcement
Law enforcement traditionally has had a narrow focus on prosecuting criminals. However,
the terrorism of recent years has injected elements of prevention and preemption into law
enforcement, which have been a challenge to organizational cultures, such as the United
States‘ FBI. Cultic studies experts may be helpful to law enforcement (including homeland
security) in one or more of the following ways:
Provide a monitoring function regarding extremist and cultic groups by
strengthening, expanding, and training the large international network of—mostly
volunteer—cult watch organizations (see Kropveld, 2003). To work properly and
ethically, monitoring should be part of a broader research agenda. Just as mental
health professionals and researchers might be legally and/or ethically obligated to
notify law enforcement when they learn of child abuse, so cult watch organizations
could be helped to develop appropriate protocols for determining when law
enforcement should be notified concerning the actions of extremist or cultic groups.
