8 ICSA TODAY
Resocialization and Exit Work
The main challenge for resocialization is overcoming the
identity crisis that individuals are likely to experience. The
deconstruction of individuality has left their individual
identities completely intertwined with the cult or extremist
group. The loss of their entire social network, surroundings,
and activities will leave them with the question, “Who am I?”
For each individual, to completely deconstruct the extremist
or cultic identity, it is crucial to replace that identity with a
new one.12 Although many former members are able to do so
without help from others, exit work can play an important role
in that process.
For exit work, the challenge of resocialization means that the
first steps in helping the individual with disengagement will
revolve around practical matters such as housing and income. A
new job and environment may help the individual to construct
a new social network and identity. Meanwhile the individual
can benefit from counseling during the disengagement
process. The most important lesson for counseling is that it
must be tailored and paced. The counselor should not be hasty
or act as if she knows the client’s situation. In addition to the
practical issues mentioned previously, counseling can help the
client with the following issues:
• learning to tolerate ambiguity and uncertainty
• having space to express a full range of emotions,
including existential angst, anger, and grief
• returning to critical thinking and the ability to make
decisions
• finding a balance between having choices and being
overwhelmed with choices
• kick-starting stalled developmental issues
• repairing relationships with family members and
friends
• forming new relationships and
• dealing with emotional issues—returning to conflicts
that existed before group involvement and that may
have increased the client’s vulnerability to the cult.13
Not all issues should be addressed directly and simultaneously.
If a client suffers from PTSD (see sidebar), PTSD recovery
should be the primary concern. Judith Herman (1997/1992)
has differentiated three stages of recovery that can guide the
counselling process:
(a) Safety, self-care, healthy regulation of emotions
(b) Remembrance and mourning
(c) Reconnection with people, meaningful activities,
other aspects of life
True disengagement and resocialization may take many
years. But exit work is not necessarily exclusively executed by
professionals. Family, new friends (not attached to the cult or
the extremist), and other important third persons can also play
an important role.
The Role of Families
Families can play a major role in preventing a family member
from joining a cult or extremist group, and also in helping the
member who has joined to leave the group. Of course, there
are cases in which the family or certain family members have
a negative influence. RAN recognizes the importance of family
and has published several papers outlining lessons on family
support, both for prevention and disengagement from violent
extremism.14,15
Families are the first to recognize an individual’s change
in behavior, feeling a lack of contact. Growing concerns
and disagreement with the ideology of the movement/
cult can leave family members confused: their loved one is
“brainwashed.” Families often tend to wait, hoping the person
will change his mind or look for professional help himself, or
they focus on persuading him to leave. These approaches can
end up in temporary loss of contact or in conflict.16
Support programs for families, such as Intervention101 for
cults and Hayat (a German program that supports mothers
whose children have joined Daesh) for extremist groups, work
with the philosophy that retaining the relationship is more
important than fighting the cult or extremist group. A good
relationship is important in itself however, it also provides
the only opportunity to influence the person who has joined,
however insignificant this relationship might appear at certain
moments. Fighting the group will cause loyalty issues and bias
the relationship. Not fighting the ideology/religion/goals of the
group does not imply a family’s approval. The person in the cult
or extremist group should have the feeling that returning to his
family is always an option.
Counselling Issues for Families
Families experience a high degree of stress and anxiety when
a loved one has joined an extremist group or cult. Counsellors
have reported that families have found the following aspects of
counselling to be particularly helpful to them:
• Receiving psychoeducation about the effect of high-
pressure groups and group influence
• Soothing anger through understanding
• Learning communication skills
• Examining family issues—unification around concerns
for family member
• Learning to take planned action rather than
responding with impulsive outbursts
• Receiving encouragement for patience and for small
steps toward family conciliation17
Resocialization and Exit Work
The main challenge for resocialization is overcoming the
identity crisis that individuals are likely to experience. The
deconstruction of individuality has left their individual
identities completely intertwined with the cult or extremist
group. The loss of their entire social network, surroundings,
and activities will leave them with the question, “Who am I?”
For each individual, to completely deconstruct the extremist
or cultic identity, it is crucial to replace that identity with a
new one.12 Although many former members are able to do so
without help from others, exit work can play an important role
in that process.
For exit work, the challenge of resocialization means that the
first steps in helping the individual with disengagement will
revolve around practical matters such as housing and income. A
new job and environment may help the individual to construct
a new social network and identity. Meanwhile the individual
can benefit from counseling during the disengagement
process. The most important lesson for counseling is that it
must be tailored and paced. The counselor should not be hasty
or act as if she knows the client’s situation. In addition to the
practical issues mentioned previously, counseling can help the
client with the following issues:
• learning to tolerate ambiguity and uncertainty
• having space to express a full range of emotions,
including existential angst, anger, and grief
• returning to critical thinking and the ability to make
decisions
• finding a balance between having choices and being
overwhelmed with choices
• kick-starting stalled developmental issues
• repairing relationships with family members and
friends
• forming new relationships and
• dealing with emotional issues—returning to conflicts
that existed before group involvement and that may
have increased the client’s vulnerability to the cult.13
Not all issues should be addressed directly and simultaneously.
If a client suffers from PTSD (see sidebar), PTSD recovery
should be the primary concern. Judith Herman (1997/1992)
has differentiated three stages of recovery that can guide the
counselling process:
(a) Safety, self-care, healthy regulation of emotions
(b) Remembrance and mourning
(c) Reconnection with people, meaningful activities,
other aspects of life
True disengagement and resocialization may take many
years. But exit work is not necessarily exclusively executed by
professionals. Family, new friends (not attached to the cult or
the extremist), and other important third persons can also play
an important role.
The Role of Families
Families can play a major role in preventing a family member
from joining a cult or extremist group, and also in helping the
member who has joined to leave the group. Of course, there
are cases in which the family or certain family members have
a negative influence. RAN recognizes the importance of family
and has published several papers outlining lessons on family
support, both for prevention and disengagement from violent
extremism.14,15
Families are the first to recognize an individual’s change
in behavior, feeling a lack of contact. Growing concerns
and disagreement with the ideology of the movement/
cult can leave family members confused: their loved one is
“brainwashed.” Families often tend to wait, hoping the person
will change his mind or look for professional help himself, or
they focus on persuading him to leave. These approaches can
end up in temporary loss of contact or in conflict.16
Support programs for families, such as Intervention101 for
cults and Hayat (a German program that supports mothers
whose children have joined Daesh) for extremist groups, work
with the philosophy that retaining the relationship is more
important than fighting the cult or extremist group. A good
relationship is important in itself however, it also provides
the only opportunity to influence the person who has joined,
however insignificant this relationship might appear at certain
moments. Fighting the group will cause loyalty issues and bias
the relationship. Not fighting the ideology/religion/goals of the
group does not imply a family’s approval. The person in the cult
or extremist group should have the feeling that returning to his
family is always an option.
Counselling Issues for Families
Families experience a high degree of stress and anxiety when
a loved one has joined an extremist group or cult. Counsellors
have reported that families have found the following aspects of
counselling to be particularly helpful to them:
• Receiving psychoeducation about the effect of high-
pressure groups and group influence
• Soothing anger through understanding
• Learning communication skills
• Examining family issues—unification around concerns
for family member
• Learning to take planned action rather than
responding with impulsive outbursts
• Receiving encouragement for patience and for small
steps toward family conciliation17
