Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 8, No. 2, 2009, Page 16
over time for second generation former members with counseling compared to second
generation without counseling. However, first generation former members didn‘t show this
decline in distress, even with counseling.
Kendall‘s study did not inquire into whether or not subjects received counseling from cult
specialists.
So far as we know, no study has compared mental health outcomes among former
members who had received specialized and non-specialized counseling. Clinical experience
with thousands of former cult members (Langone, 1993a), however, strongly suggests that
an understanding of cultic dynamics and the special problems of cult members would
enhance the effectiveness of mental health professionals by reducing their tendency to
make erroneous diagnoses, improving their capacity to respond to cult-related causes of
clients‘ problems, and making them more likely to refer clients to specialists.
Overall, the participants in our study highlighted the deception and manipulation practiced
by the group as their main reasons for leaving, and they presented high scores on the Mind
Control subscale of the GPA. We detected no differences, as we have discussed above, in
these responses according to the method of leaving or whether or not there had been any
contact with a CAA. In an earlier study of the perceptions of former members regarding
their initial involvement with the group (Almendros, Carrobles &Rodríguez-Carballeira,
2007), these subjects highlighted ―manipulation‖ as the main motive for their having
entered the cult.
The information former members reported regarding the psychological abuse inflicted by
their former groups remained unaltered, even after time periods of more than 2½ years
separating the two administrations of the GPA-S. Here, we should stress that Almendros
(2006) also didn‘t find any differences in the scores when participants were grouped
according to the time (four separate groups) that had elapsed between the two
assessments. This finding is in line with reports made by Zablocki (1996 cited by Lalich,
2001 2001), who claims that the accounts of former members remain consistent over
periods of many years.
As in other social situations, what is ultimately important is not ―to deny a voice to a whole
class of people‖ (Zablocki, 2001), but rather to provide the prudent validation of the
experiences of psychological, physical, and sexual abuse that these individuals report having
suffered.
References
AIS (Atención e Investigación sobre Socioadicciones). (2005). Grupos de manipulación psicológica en
Cataluña situación y conceptos. Barcelona: Autor.
Almendros, C. (2006). Abuso psicológico en contextos grupales. Doctoral dissertation presented at the
Psychology Faculty. Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain.
Almendros, C., Carrobles, J. A., &Rodríguez-Carballeira, A. (2007). Former members‘ perceptions of
cult involvement. Cultic Studies Review, 6, 1–20.
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.
Anastasi, A. (1988). Psychological testing. New York: Macmillan.
Anthony, D., &Robbins, T. (2004). Conversion and ―brainwashing‖ in new religious movements. In J.
R. Lewis (Ed.), Oxford Handbook of New Religions (243–297). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Aronoff, J., Lynn, S. J., &Malinoski, P. (2000). Are cultic environments psychologically harmful?
Clinical Psychology Review, 20, 91–111.
Ayella, M. (1990). ―They must be crazy.‖ Some of the difficulties in researching ―cults.‖ American
Behavioral Scientist, 33, 562–577.
Barker, E. (1984). The making of a Moonie: Choice or brainwashing. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
Barker, E. (1989). New Religion Movements: A Practical Introduction. London: HMSO.
over time for second generation former members with counseling compared to second
generation without counseling. However, first generation former members didn‘t show this
decline in distress, even with counseling.
Kendall‘s study did not inquire into whether or not subjects received counseling from cult
specialists.
So far as we know, no study has compared mental health outcomes among former
members who had received specialized and non-specialized counseling. Clinical experience
with thousands of former cult members (Langone, 1993a), however, strongly suggests that
an understanding of cultic dynamics and the special problems of cult members would
enhance the effectiveness of mental health professionals by reducing their tendency to
make erroneous diagnoses, improving their capacity to respond to cult-related causes of
clients‘ problems, and making them more likely to refer clients to specialists.
Overall, the participants in our study highlighted the deception and manipulation practiced
by the group as their main reasons for leaving, and they presented high scores on the Mind
Control subscale of the GPA. We detected no differences, as we have discussed above, in
these responses according to the method of leaving or whether or not there had been any
contact with a CAA. In an earlier study of the perceptions of former members regarding
their initial involvement with the group (Almendros, Carrobles &Rodríguez-Carballeira,
2007), these subjects highlighted ―manipulation‖ as the main motive for their having
entered the cult.
The information former members reported regarding the psychological abuse inflicted by
their former groups remained unaltered, even after time periods of more than 2½ years
separating the two administrations of the GPA-S. Here, we should stress that Almendros
(2006) also didn‘t find any differences in the scores when participants were grouped
according to the time (four separate groups) that had elapsed between the two
assessments. This finding is in line with reports made by Zablocki (1996 cited by Lalich,
2001 2001), who claims that the accounts of former members remain consistent over
periods of many years.
As in other social situations, what is ultimately important is not ―to deny a voice to a whole
class of people‖ (Zablocki, 2001), but rather to provide the prudent validation of the
experiences of psychological, physical, and sexual abuse that these individuals report having
suffered.
References
AIS (Atención e Investigación sobre Socioadicciones). (2005). Grupos de manipulación psicológica en
Cataluña situación y conceptos. Barcelona: Autor.
Almendros, C. (2006). Abuso psicológico en contextos grupales. Doctoral dissertation presented at the
Psychology Faculty. Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain.
Almendros, C., Carrobles, J. A., &Rodríguez-Carballeira, A. (2007). Former members‘ perceptions of
cult involvement. Cultic Studies Review, 6, 1–20.
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.
Anastasi, A. (1988). Psychological testing. New York: Macmillan.
Anthony, D., &Robbins, T. (2004). Conversion and ―brainwashing‖ in new religious movements. In J.
R. Lewis (Ed.), Oxford Handbook of New Religions (243–297). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Aronoff, J., Lynn, S. J., &Malinoski, P. (2000). Are cultic environments psychologically harmful?
Clinical Psychology Review, 20, 91–111.
Ayella, M. (1990). ―They must be crazy.‖ Some of the difficulties in researching ―cults.‖ American
Behavioral Scientist, 33, 562–577.
Barker, E. (1984). The making of a Moonie: Choice or brainwashing. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
Barker, E. (1989). New Religion Movements: A Practical Introduction. London: HMSO.
