52 International Journal of Coercion, Abuse, and Manipulation ■ Vol. 2, 2021
2017) was evident as he convinced her that it
was her “role” to perform oral sex on him
daily (2019, p. 2401). Moreover, Raniere
sulked and became petulant when scolding
Daniela for her failure to write him love
letters as frequently as he desired. And he
told her she must fantasize about him (2019,
p. 2708). Eventually, Daniela was recruited
into DOS.
C. Female Subservience
Establishing female subservience is critical to
instilling female submission in cults (Lalich,
1997), and this is one of the most compelling
aspects of Raniere’s grooming. By integrating
the dichotomous theme of male superiority
and female inferiority into many of his
teachings, he provided the foundation and
rationale for female subservience.
Women as a “problem” has pervaded
NXIVM teachings. Cults often vilify
women—and, as Lalich has noted, cult
leaders frequently identify women as the
“cause of all evil” (Lalich, 1997, p. 13). In
this tradition, Raniere penned The Fall during
the early 2000s in which he described his
former partner, Toni Natalie, as the devil—as
Lucifer incarnate, who had, in her prideful
state, disavowed him and his teachings. All
subsequent group members were aware of
her apparent sins, and that Raniere’s nemesis
was a woman (Natalie &Hardin, 2019, pp.
101–102 168–169).
Then, in 2006, Raniere founded Jness as a
women-only organization that allegedly
addressed men’s and women’s relationships
(Grigoriadis, 2018, p. 56). In 2013, he added
new Jness curriculum (Jness Tracks), which
30 Clare Bronfman recruited Sylvie when she was an 18-year-old,
aspiring equestrian in England (United States of America v. Raniere,
2019, p. 90). Although she initially did not want to take Jness
curriculum, Raniere informed her that she needed to take it
otherwise, she would remain “coldhearted” and any children she
might have would never be able to love her (2019, pp.164–165).
included course options for men (Edmonson,
2019, p. 129). Purportedly a female
empowerment group, Jness/Jness Tracks
instead laid the foundations for female
subservience in NXIVM. Members who
enrolled were taught that women lack
discipline and morals, and that women are
needy, impulsive, spoiled, weak, and self-
obsessed. Furthermore, the curriculum
reproached women for being devoid of honor
and loyalty (Oxenberg &Stoynoff, 2019, 42–
43). Counter to their stated goal of
empowering women, Jness and Jness Tracks
identified women as less than, and for many
women these teachings had damaging
consequences: grooming them to accept
further degradations.
Sylvie, a member of NXIVM for 13 years,
testified in court that, although Jness did offer
some positive content and experiences
(United States of America v. Raniere, 2019,
p. 322), 30 it taught women that they are
“materialistic and self-absorbed” (2019, p.
168). Programming imparted men’s need for
multiple female sexual partners whilst
teaching women to remain loyal to one man
(2019, p. 168). Jness left Sylvie despising
herself. The teachings reprimanded women
for “crying victim” whenever they (allegedly)
wanted to avoid responsibility for their
situations—and Raniere told women that
they are not victims rather, they are
victimizers (2019, p. 292), and that anything
that happens to a woman is her own fault,
including abuse (2019, p. 307).
This rhetoric continued in SOP Complete31—
a six-day “boot camp” during which
31 In 2013, Raniere also introduced curriculum for men in a group
called the Society of Protectors (SOP). He established this “men’s
movement” as a venue for men to “grow up,” develop character, and
to become more noble, honorable, and capable (United States of
America v. Raniere, 2019, p. 790). Raniere offered SOP Complete
as a course for women to take, allegedly so that they could learn
2017) was evident as he convinced her that it
was her “role” to perform oral sex on him
daily (2019, p. 2401). Moreover, Raniere
sulked and became petulant when scolding
Daniela for her failure to write him love
letters as frequently as he desired. And he
told her she must fantasize about him (2019,
p. 2708). Eventually, Daniela was recruited
into DOS.
C. Female Subservience
Establishing female subservience is critical to
instilling female submission in cults (Lalich,
1997), and this is one of the most compelling
aspects of Raniere’s grooming. By integrating
the dichotomous theme of male superiority
and female inferiority into many of his
teachings, he provided the foundation and
rationale for female subservience.
Women as a “problem” has pervaded
NXIVM teachings. Cults often vilify
women—and, as Lalich has noted, cult
leaders frequently identify women as the
“cause of all evil” (Lalich, 1997, p. 13). In
this tradition, Raniere penned The Fall during
the early 2000s in which he described his
former partner, Toni Natalie, as the devil—as
Lucifer incarnate, who had, in her prideful
state, disavowed him and his teachings. All
subsequent group members were aware of
her apparent sins, and that Raniere’s nemesis
was a woman (Natalie &Hardin, 2019, pp.
101–102 168–169).
Then, in 2006, Raniere founded Jness as a
women-only organization that allegedly
addressed men’s and women’s relationships
(Grigoriadis, 2018, p. 56). In 2013, he added
new Jness curriculum (Jness Tracks), which
30 Clare Bronfman recruited Sylvie when she was an 18-year-old,
aspiring equestrian in England (United States of America v. Raniere,
2019, p. 90). Although she initially did not want to take Jness
curriculum, Raniere informed her that she needed to take it
otherwise, she would remain “coldhearted” and any children she
might have would never be able to love her (2019, pp.164–165).
included course options for men (Edmonson,
2019, p. 129). Purportedly a female
empowerment group, Jness/Jness Tracks
instead laid the foundations for female
subservience in NXIVM. Members who
enrolled were taught that women lack
discipline and morals, and that women are
needy, impulsive, spoiled, weak, and self-
obsessed. Furthermore, the curriculum
reproached women for being devoid of honor
and loyalty (Oxenberg &Stoynoff, 2019, 42–
43). Counter to their stated goal of
empowering women, Jness and Jness Tracks
identified women as less than, and for many
women these teachings had damaging
consequences: grooming them to accept
further degradations.
Sylvie, a member of NXIVM for 13 years,
testified in court that, although Jness did offer
some positive content and experiences
(United States of America v. Raniere, 2019,
p. 322), 30 it taught women that they are
“materialistic and self-absorbed” (2019, p.
168). Programming imparted men’s need for
multiple female sexual partners whilst
teaching women to remain loyal to one man
(2019, p. 168). Jness left Sylvie despising
herself. The teachings reprimanded women
for “crying victim” whenever they (allegedly)
wanted to avoid responsibility for their
situations—and Raniere told women that
they are not victims rather, they are
victimizers (2019, p. 292), and that anything
that happens to a woman is her own fault,
including abuse (2019, p. 307).
This rhetoric continued in SOP Complete31—
a six-day “boot camp” during which
31 In 2013, Raniere also introduced curriculum for men in a group
called the Society of Protectors (SOP). He established this “men’s
movement” as a venue for men to “grow up,” develop character, and
to become more noble, honorable, and capable (United States of
America v. Raniere, 2019, p. 790). Raniere offered SOP Complete
as a course for women to take, allegedly so that they could learn
