International Journal of Coercion, Abuse, and Manipulation ■ Vol. 1, No. 1, 2020 89
their false beliefs about “outsiders” as evil
and uncaring. It is often the case that even in
closed communities women are searching for
a way out, as evidenced by the fact that
people do escape (Musser, 2013 Wall,
2008). They just may need to know that there
will be someone on the outside ready to help
(M. Kropveld, personal communication,
January 6, 2017). From the former member
workshops, we have heard of women secretly
accessing the internet (in the few cults in
which computers are allowed) and searching
for information and help.
The legal system needs to separate out
religious belief from religious practices.
However, this is easier said than done
because beliefs result in behavior, as in the
case of the polygamous Mormons (discussed
previously). If a woman believes that the only
way to get to heaven is through the good graces
of her husband, she is going to “keep sweet” on
the earthly plane for the longer term reward.
Opportunities for Advocacy
We have addressed the obstacles many
women face in escaping from cults and
getting help once they have escaped. There is
also work to be done in helping prevent cults
from growing in the first place. Increasing
awareness, especially among vulnerable
populations, is essential. College campuses
are historically targeted by cults because they
are sites where free thought is protected and
encouraged. Unfortunately, such openness
renders college students vulnerable to cult
recruitment. In addition, both freshman and
seniors are in states of transition, the prime
time when people are searching for
something to anchor them. The cult offers
them a welcoming and interesting new
community to join. Only later do they realize
they have joined a cult, when they are trapped
by conditions detailed previously in this
chapter. Simply by reading this, it is hoped
that you have become more educated about
how cults operate, a first step to increasing
awareness. An excellent way to further
educate yourself and others about how to
prevent joining a cult is to refer to the
questions about groups in Appendix B.
Another interesting avenue for advocacy
would be working to implement new policies
and laws that could prevent cult leaders from
exploiting and abusing members in known
ways that are common throughout the world.
Law professor Robin Laisure (2018)
recommends using existing laws on human
trafficking and applying them to criminal
activity in and by cults. She argues that
trafficking laws are quite strong, exist on an
international scale, and are applicable against
cults because traffickers and cult leaders use
similar tactics to entrap and exploit their
victims. These tactics include grooming,
using threats and physical restraint to prevent
escape, unpaid and child labor, and isolation.
Trafficking is often misconstrued as an act
requiring transport when “the crux of the
crime of human trafficking is not the
transportation of a person, but the use of force
to obtain labor or service of that person” (p.
23). Such behavior occurs frequently in cults.
In the United States, the Victims of
Trafficking and Violence Protection Act,
passed in 2000, may provide a valuable
avenue for recourse for cult survivors
(Laisure, 2018). Other similar laws exist
internationally and may prove very useful
against cults and cult leaders.
Conclusion
A democracy prides itself on freedom of
religion and speech, codified in the United
States in the First Amendment. This has
made it difficult to curtail the activities of
HDGs in the United States. Ironically, the
2001 attacks and subsequent events carried
out by radical terrorist groups have made
Americans question the boundaries of those
rights. Other countries, such as Russia,
China, the Netherlands, and Germany, do not
have the same First Amendment limitations
their false beliefs about “outsiders” as evil
and uncaring. It is often the case that even in
closed communities women are searching for
a way out, as evidenced by the fact that
people do escape (Musser, 2013 Wall,
2008). They just may need to know that there
will be someone on the outside ready to help
(M. Kropveld, personal communication,
January 6, 2017). From the former member
workshops, we have heard of women secretly
accessing the internet (in the few cults in
which computers are allowed) and searching
for information and help.
The legal system needs to separate out
religious belief from religious practices.
However, this is easier said than done
because beliefs result in behavior, as in the
case of the polygamous Mormons (discussed
previously). If a woman believes that the only
way to get to heaven is through the good graces
of her husband, she is going to “keep sweet” on
the earthly plane for the longer term reward.
Opportunities for Advocacy
We have addressed the obstacles many
women face in escaping from cults and
getting help once they have escaped. There is
also work to be done in helping prevent cults
from growing in the first place. Increasing
awareness, especially among vulnerable
populations, is essential. College campuses
are historically targeted by cults because they
are sites where free thought is protected and
encouraged. Unfortunately, such openness
renders college students vulnerable to cult
recruitment. In addition, both freshman and
seniors are in states of transition, the prime
time when people are searching for
something to anchor them. The cult offers
them a welcoming and interesting new
community to join. Only later do they realize
they have joined a cult, when they are trapped
by conditions detailed previously in this
chapter. Simply by reading this, it is hoped
that you have become more educated about
how cults operate, a first step to increasing
awareness. An excellent way to further
educate yourself and others about how to
prevent joining a cult is to refer to the
questions about groups in Appendix B.
Another interesting avenue for advocacy
would be working to implement new policies
and laws that could prevent cult leaders from
exploiting and abusing members in known
ways that are common throughout the world.
Law professor Robin Laisure (2018)
recommends using existing laws on human
trafficking and applying them to criminal
activity in and by cults. She argues that
trafficking laws are quite strong, exist on an
international scale, and are applicable against
cults because traffickers and cult leaders use
similar tactics to entrap and exploit their
victims. These tactics include grooming,
using threats and physical restraint to prevent
escape, unpaid and child labor, and isolation.
Trafficking is often misconstrued as an act
requiring transport when “the crux of the
crime of human trafficking is not the
transportation of a person, but the use of force
to obtain labor or service of that person” (p.
23). Such behavior occurs frequently in cults.
In the United States, the Victims of
Trafficking and Violence Protection Act,
passed in 2000, may provide a valuable
avenue for recourse for cult survivors
(Laisure, 2018). Other similar laws exist
internationally and may prove very useful
against cults and cult leaders.
Conclusion
A democracy prides itself on freedom of
religion and speech, codified in the United
States in the First Amendment. This has
made it difficult to curtail the activities of
HDGs in the United States. Ironically, the
2001 attacks and subsequent events carried
out by radical terrorist groups have made
Americans question the boundaries of those
rights. Other countries, such as Russia,
China, the Netherlands, and Germany, do not
have the same First Amendment limitations
