International Journal of Coercion, Abuse, and Manipulation ■ Vol. 1, No. 1, 2020 91
7. Do you feel pressured to change your
beliefs?
8. Are there values antithetical to yours?
9. Are you discouraged from questioning
the motives, beliefs, or practices of the
group either overtly or subtly? In other
words, are you made to feel bad
(ashamed, inadequate, sinful, not spiritual
enough, etc.)?
10. Does the group speak in terms of “us” and
“them?”
11. Are you asked to give money as part of
your commitment to the group or for
additional training? Are you pressured
into this?
12. How does your group get its money?
13. Do you (really) know where the money
goes?
14. Can you leave the group without feeling
like a failure?
15. Is the organization known by any other
name?
16. In the group, do you have private time?
Private space?
17. Is your time overstructured? Do you have
enough time to sleep?
18. Are there strange dietary restrictions?
Medical restrictions?
19. Are the secrets of the group revealed only
to the initiated?
20. Is there a double standard of behavior for
the leader versus the members?
21. Does the group make it difficult to
maintain contact with family?
22. Are you encouraged to drop friends who
do not belong to the group?
23. Has the group asked you to give up your
academic goals to go on a mission or
other group activity that “is more
important,” such as eliminating world
hunger?
24. Can the group give you the names of
other students who have been to one of its
retreats?
25. Does the organization operate on other
college campuses? Which ones?
26. Why has the group chosen to recruit
members by speaking to them on street
corners rather than more traditional ways
of recruiting?
27. Get on the internet and read what
members and former members have
said about their experiences in the group.
Do their doubts and negative experiences
resonate with you?
28. What other questions can you think of
that might be helpful in determining if
this is a safe group to join?
Sources: Questions are drawn from the cult
literature, particularly from the following
references:
• Goldberg, W. (1986, March–April).
Campus Law Enforcement Journal,
16(2).
• Martin, P. (1993). Cult proofing your
kids. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
References
ABC News. (2003, April 17). Witness: The children of Waco
[Television broadcast]. Primetime. New York, NY: American
Broadcasting Company.
Almendros, C., Gamez-Guadix, M., Rodriquez-Carballeira, A., &
Carrobles, A. (2011). Assessment of psychological abuse in
manipulative groups. International Cultic Studies Review, 2, 61–76.
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and
statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA:
American Psychiatric Publishing.
Amnesty International. (2015, April 14). Nigeria: Abducted women
and girls forced to join Boko Haram attacks. Retrieved from
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2015/ 04/nigeria-
abducted-women-and-girls-forced-to-join-boko-haram-attacks
Anderson, B., &Kelly, R. (2018.) Barbara Anderson: Eyewitness
to deceit. New York, NY: Richard Kelly.
Australian Associated Press. (2015, August 5). Jehovah’s Witness
church says it will comply with mandatory reporting of child abuse.
The Guardian. Retrieved June 14, 2018, from
http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/aug/04/jehovahs-
witness-church-says-it-will-comply-with-mandatory-reporting-of-
child-abuse
Ayella, M. F. (1998). Insane therapy: Portrait of a psychotherapy
cult. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.
Baldas, T. (2018). Friends: Jehovah’s Witnesses shunning drove
Keego Harbor mom to murder-suicide. Detroit Free Press.
Retrieved from https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/
michigan/2018/02/19/keego-harbor-jehovahs-witness-mom-triple-
murder-suicide/351559002
7. Do you feel pressured to change your
beliefs?
8. Are there values antithetical to yours?
9. Are you discouraged from questioning
the motives, beliefs, or practices of the
group either overtly or subtly? In other
words, are you made to feel bad
(ashamed, inadequate, sinful, not spiritual
enough, etc.)?
10. Does the group speak in terms of “us” and
“them?”
11. Are you asked to give money as part of
your commitment to the group or for
additional training? Are you pressured
into this?
12. How does your group get its money?
13. Do you (really) know where the money
goes?
14. Can you leave the group without feeling
like a failure?
15. Is the organization known by any other
name?
16. In the group, do you have private time?
Private space?
17. Is your time overstructured? Do you have
enough time to sleep?
18. Are there strange dietary restrictions?
Medical restrictions?
19. Are the secrets of the group revealed only
to the initiated?
20. Is there a double standard of behavior for
the leader versus the members?
21. Does the group make it difficult to
maintain contact with family?
22. Are you encouraged to drop friends who
do not belong to the group?
23. Has the group asked you to give up your
academic goals to go on a mission or
other group activity that “is more
important,” such as eliminating world
hunger?
24. Can the group give you the names of
other students who have been to one of its
retreats?
25. Does the organization operate on other
college campuses? Which ones?
26. Why has the group chosen to recruit
members by speaking to them on street
corners rather than more traditional ways
of recruiting?
27. Get on the internet and read what
members and former members have
said about their experiences in the group.
Do their doubts and negative experiences
resonate with you?
28. What other questions can you think of
that might be helpful in determining if
this is a safe group to join?
Sources: Questions are drawn from the cult
literature, particularly from the following
references:
• Goldberg, W. (1986, March–April).
Campus Law Enforcement Journal,
16(2).
• Martin, P. (1993). Cult proofing your
kids. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
References
ABC News. (2003, April 17). Witness: The children of Waco
[Television broadcast]. Primetime. New York, NY: American
Broadcasting Company.
Almendros, C., Gamez-Guadix, M., Rodriquez-Carballeira, A., &
Carrobles, A. (2011). Assessment of psychological abuse in
manipulative groups. International Cultic Studies Review, 2, 61–76.
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and
statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA:
American Psychiatric Publishing.
Amnesty International. (2015, April 14). Nigeria: Abducted women
and girls forced to join Boko Haram attacks. Retrieved from
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2015/ 04/nigeria-
abducted-women-and-girls-forced-to-join-boko-haram-attacks
Anderson, B., &Kelly, R. (2018.) Barbara Anderson: Eyewitness
to deceit. New York, NY: Richard Kelly.
Australian Associated Press. (2015, August 5). Jehovah’s Witness
church says it will comply with mandatory reporting of child abuse.
The Guardian. Retrieved June 14, 2018, from
http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/aug/04/jehovahs-
witness-church-says-it-will-comply-with-mandatory-reporting-of-
child-abuse
Ayella, M. F. (1998). Insane therapy: Portrait of a psychotherapy
cult. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.
Baldas, T. (2018). Friends: Jehovah’s Witnesses shunning drove
Keego Harbor mom to murder-suicide. Detroit Free Press.
Retrieved from https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/
michigan/2018/02/19/keego-harbor-jehovahs-witness-mom-triple-
murder-suicide/351559002
