Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 3, No. 2, 1986 Page 32
cult members against their parents have led in some instances to the parents paying fines
or damages for their actions, or to legal settlements --before a definitive decision on the
merits of the case --at significant cost to them. In some cases, the charges have been
dropped and the parents and children have gone their separate ways. To summarize, no
national precedents seem yet to have been set in court cases fought over issues peculiar
either to cult recruitment or to involuntary removal from cults.
The Family after the Fact
Apart from direct action of some kind, parents with cult-involved children have created a
number of self-help and referral organizations which seek to make up for the failure of
established institutions to deal with the problem. Prominent among these are the Cult
Awareness Network, a loose affiliation of local parent groups providing support and
education, and the American Family Foundation, a parent-inspired organization staffed by
professionals who conduct research and educational programs. These groups have
propagated the notion that therapy and counseling are useful for the cult-involved
individual‘s family, and many parents have turned to professional and semiprofessional
sources as part of their reaction to cultism.
There are two major goals in therapy with families of cult members. One is to preserve the
family unit and the other is to prepare the family for a harmonious reconciliation with the
absent child. It is not a function of the therapist to aid in abduction and deprogramming.
The therapists aim must be to help the parents cope with and handle the crisis.
The therapists initial task is to deal with the varied emotions that distraught parents bring
to the therapists office and to provide support during the grieving process. Next, the
therapist should provide knowledgeable answers to the many questions the parents may
have about cults. This information should include the fact that abduction of an adult child,
even by parents, may be a crime. Referral to the parent network for additional guidance and
support is appropriate even while therapy continues.
What else can the therapist do to help the troubled family? Reassurance should be given
that the blame for the cult involvement is not all theirs, and that neither one of them is
totally divorced from responsibility for it (Schwartz, 1982). However, as part of the
preparation for the future, the parents should explore with the therapist those factors in the
family situation which may have contributed to their child‘s vulnerability. The parents should
also consider aspects of the family‘s relationships that might be improved. Although the
marriages of the parents surveyed were intact, there may well be underlying tensions in the
relationship to which the child is sensitive, rendering him or her more vulnerable to cult
involvement. Parents should also be urged to maintain an affectionate and non-critical kind
of communication with their cult-involved child if they hope to become reconciled.
If and when the young adult returns to the family, some conjoint family therapy is
recommended to discuss everyone‘s feelings at different points of the cult episode. The
therapist must be alert to keep the discussion tactful rather than confrontational. In
par6cular, the parents must be helped to see themselves as their child views them if needed
changes in attitude and behavior are to occur.
Return to the Cult
There have been many cases in which the return to the family never occurs or is temporary,
whether because of ineffective deprogramming, continuing vulnerability of the young adult
to the appeals of cult peers, or simply because cult life seems more desirable than life in the
larger society. Langone concluded, after studying parental questionnaires collected in his
study, that ―Some converts may leave [the cult] if properly counseled, but will not leave if
forcibly deprogrammed (because anger at their parents‘ manipulations will induce them to
stay in the group) (Langone, 1984, 75). Particular cult members may choose to return to
cult members against their parents have led in some instances to the parents paying fines
or damages for their actions, or to legal settlements --before a definitive decision on the
merits of the case --at significant cost to them. In some cases, the charges have been
dropped and the parents and children have gone their separate ways. To summarize, no
national precedents seem yet to have been set in court cases fought over issues peculiar
either to cult recruitment or to involuntary removal from cults.
The Family after the Fact
Apart from direct action of some kind, parents with cult-involved children have created a
number of self-help and referral organizations which seek to make up for the failure of
established institutions to deal with the problem. Prominent among these are the Cult
Awareness Network, a loose affiliation of local parent groups providing support and
education, and the American Family Foundation, a parent-inspired organization staffed by
professionals who conduct research and educational programs. These groups have
propagated the notion that therapy and counseling are useful for the cult-involved
individual‘s family, and many parents have turned to professional and semiprofessional
sources as part of their reaction to cultism.
There are two major goals in therapy with families of cult members. One is to preserve the
family unit and the other is to prepare the family for a harmonious reconciliation with the
absent child. It is not a function of the therapist to aid in abduction and deprogramming.
The therapists aim must be to help the parents cope with and handle the crisis.
The therapists initial task is to deal with the varied emotions that distraught parents bring
to the therapists office and to provide support during the grieving process. Next, the
therapist should provide knowledgeable answers to the many questions the parents may
have about cults. This information should include the fact that abduction of an adult child,
even by parents, may be a crime. Referral to the parent network for additional guidance and
support is appropriate even while therapy continues.
What else can the therapist do to help the troubled family? Reassurance should be given
that the blame for the cult involvement is not all theirs, and that neither one of them is
totally divorced from responsibility for it (Schwartz, 1982). However, as part of the
preparation for the future, the parents should explore with the therapist those factors in the
family situation which may have contributed to their child‘s vulnerability. The parents should
also consider aspects of the family‘s relationships that might be improved. Although the
marriages of the parents surveyed were intact, there may well be underlying tensions in the
relationship to which the child is sensitive, rendering him or her more vulnerable to cult
involvement. Parents should also be urged to maintain an affectionate and non-critical kind
of communication with their cult-involved child if they hope to become reconciled.
If and when the young adult returns to the family, some conjoint family therapy is
recommended to discuss everyone‘s feelings at different points of the cult episode. The
therapist must be alert to keep the discussion tactful rather than confrontational. In
par6cular, the parents must be helped to see themselves as their child views them if needed
changes in attitude and behavior are to occur.
Return to the Cult
There have been many cases in which the return to the family never occurs or is temporary,
whether because of ineffective deprogramming, continuing vulnerability of the young adult
to the appeals of cult peers, or simply because cult life seems more desirable than life in the
larger society. Langone concluded, after studying parental questionnaires collected in his
study, that ―Some converts may leave [the cult] if properly counseled, but will not leave if
forcibly deprogrammed (because anger at their parents‘ manipulations will induce them to
stay in the group) (Langone, 1984, 75). Particular cult members may choose to return to
