ISSN: 2710-4028 DOI: https://doi.org/10.54208/0003 23
were receptive to attending a cult function if they
were invited. These participants were not uninformed
or gullible students rather, the researchers found
them to have average grades, lots of media exposure,
and moderate engagement in religious practices.
The participants were described as being “contact-
prone” or “affiliation prone” versus individuals who
were perceived either to have sought out or had been
manipulated into joining cults (Zimbardo &Hartley,
1985).
Stein (2017a, 2017b), Collins (1982), and many others
have suggested “brainwashing” as a component in the
recruitment process. Certainly cults have demonstrated
their remarkable ability to rapidly engage with the
disenfranchised, including in the People’s Temple
and the Branch Davidians (Challacombe, 2004).
Richardson (1993) argued that cults do not brainwash
people, but rather they facilitate individuals who are
already seeking out something new. Levine and Russo
(1987) found that new group members often have
the tendency to variably influence the majority group
members this finding suggests that recruits could
potentially mitigate a cult’s brainwashing techniques.
Overall, research would suggest that groups do
influence people to a great extent, regardless of whether
this influence is considered “brainwashing.”
Stein (2017a) also proposed that cult recruitment
sometimes involves isolation. Isolation is a reoccurring
theme among researchers (Davis, 2018 Kent, 2008).
Isolation occurs when new recruits are strongly
encouraged or forced to ignore their established support
structure or former lifestyle. Research has shown that
isolation is often easier for potential recruits since
many already had loose or weak ties to friends or family
(Richardson, 1993). And instead of physical isolation,
the isolation also may be in the form of censured news
or materials (Davis, 2018). The isolation in a cultic
environment facilitates and expedites the process
of engraining a grievance narrative or belief system
into the recruit (Kent, 2008 Richardson, 1993 Stein,
2017a).
Although individuals may be more susceptible to joining
a cult, researchers have shown individuals will usually
be interested before they are actively pursued (Stein,
2017a Zimbardo &Hartley, 1985). If individuals show
signs of interest, recruiters will then engage with them
in a way that shows them increased attention (Davis,
2018 Richardson, 19930. Once recruits indicate they
are truly interested in joining, the group then will
attempt to isolate and them in order to eventually
get them to recruit others as well (Miyamoto, 2014
Wexler, 2016). It is this process that appears to parallel
the recruitment process of other groups such as gangs,
political or racist groups, and terror organizations
(Schwartz, 2001).
Terror-Organization Recruitment
Terrorism has become more ubiquitous over time and
in recent years has impacted many areas of society,
including business, research, government, and
education (Silber &Bhatt, 2007). Terrorism has many
definitions, ranging from explicit to vague and general.
One more explicit definition considers terrorism “an
act of violence (domestic or international), usually
committed against noncombatants, and aimed to
achieve behavioral change and political objectives by
creating fear in a larger population” (Doosje et al., 2016,
p. 79). A broader definition summarizes terrorism as
the “communication of a message to a target audience”
(Mahmood &Jetter, 2020, p. 128). Both definitions
generalize terrorism acts as purposed to communicate
a message or change behavior or politics.
Over the past two decades terrorism has transformed
from established, coordinated groups to small cells or
even lone actors. In this space, lone actors are usually
individuals intent on committing acts of terrorism,
whereas a terror organization could be anything from
a loose affiliation of individuals to structured, state-
sponsored groups (Gill, 2016).
We are seeing an increase in homegrown terror, wherein
individuals are being encouraged to act on their own
(Bouhana et al., 2018 FBI, n.d. Gill, 2016 Sarat-St.
Peter, 2017). With this change, terrorism recruitment
and radicalization are frequently and incorrectly seen as
similar processes (Jones, 2017). For example, analogous
to recruitment into cultic activities, recruitment is the
movement of an individual to become part of a group,
whereas radicalization is considered the process in
which an individual exhibits more interest in an idea,
theory, or belief that the group stands for (Karakatsanis
&Herzog, 2016). Radicalization is also used to
describe political activities. The negative connotation
were receptive to attending a cult function if they
were invited. These participants were not uninformed
or gullible students rather, the researchers found
them to have average grades, lots of media exposure,
and moderate engagement in religious practices.
The participants were described as being “contact-
prone” or “affiliation prone” versus individuals who
were perceived either to have sought out or had been
manipulated into joining cults (Zimbardo &Hartley,
1985).
Stein (2017a, 2017b), Collins (1982), and many others
have suggested “brainwashing” as a component in the
recruitment process. Certainly cults have demonstrated
their remarkable ability to rapidly engage with the
disenfranchised, including in the People’s Temple
and the Branch Davidians (Challacombe, 2004).
Richardson (1993) argued that cults do not brainwash
people, but rather they facilitate individuals who are
already seeking out something new. Levine and Russo
(1987) found that new group members often have
the tendency to variably influence the majority group
members this finding suggests that recruits could
potentially mitigate a cult’s brainwashing techniques.
Overall, research would suggest that groups do
influence people to a great extent, regardless of whether
this influence is considered “brainwashing.”
Stein (2017a) also proposed that cult recruitment
sometimes involves isolation. Isolation is a reoccurring
theme among researchers (Davis, 2018 Kent, 2008).
Isolation occurs when new recruits are strongly
encouraged or forced to ignore their established support
structure or former lifestyle. Research has shown that
isolation is often easier for potential recruits since
many already had loose or weak ties to friends or family
(Richardson, 1993). And instead of physical isolation,
the isolation also may be in the form of censured news
or materials (Davis, 2018). The isolation in a cultic
environment facilitates and expedites the process
of engraining a grievance narrative or belief system
into the recruit (Kent, 2008 Richardson, 1993 Stein,
2017a).
Although individuals may be more susceptible to joining
a cult, researchers have shown individuals will usually
be interested before they are actively pursued (Stein,
2017a Zimbardo &Hartley, 1985). If individuals show
signs of interest, recruiters will then engage with them
in a way that shows them increased attention (Davis,
2018 Richardson, 19930. Once recruits indicate they
are truly interested in joining, the group then will
attempt to isolate and them in order to eventually
get them to recruit others as well (Miyamoto, 2014
Wexler, 2016). It is this process that appears to parallel
the recruitment process of other groups such as gangs,
political or racist groups, and terror organizations
(Schwartz, 2001).
Terror-Organization Recruitment
Terrorism has become more ubiquitous over time and
in recent years has impacted many areas of society,
including business, research, government, and
education (Silber &Bhatt, 2007). Terrorism has many
definitions, ranging from explicit to vague and general.
One more explicit definition considers terrorism “an
act of violence (domestic or international), usually
committed against noncombatants, and aimed to
achieve behavioral change and political objectives by
creating fear in a larger population” (Doosje et al., 2016,
p. 79). A broader definition summarizes terrorism as
the “communication of a message to a target audience”
(Mahmood &Jetter, 2020, p. 128). Both definitions
generalize terrorism acts as purposed to communicate
a message or change behavior or politics.
Over the past two decades terrorism has transformed
from established, coordinated groups to small cells or
even lone actors. In this space, lone actors are usually
individuals intent on committing acts of terrorism,
whereas a terror organization could be anything from
a loose affiliation of individuals to structured, state-
sponsored groups (Gill, 2016).
We are seeing an increase in homegrown terror, wherein
individuals are being encouraged to act on their own
(Bouhana et al., 2018 FBI, n.d. Gill, 2016 Sarat-St.
Peter, 2017). With this change, terrorism recruitment
and radicalization are frequently and incorrectly seen as
similar processes (Jones, 2017). For example, analogous
to recruitment into cultic activities, recruitment is the
movement of an individual to become part of a group,
whereas radicalization is considered the process in
which an individual exhibits more interest in an idea,
theory, or belief that the group stands for (Karakatsanis
&Herzog, 2016). Radicalization is also used to
describe political activities. The negative connotation
