International Journal of Coercion, Abuse, and Manipulation ■ Vol. 1, No. 1, 2020 75
from society, no matter where in the world it
may be.
Accurate estimates of cultic groups and
membership are difficult to obtain due to the
secretive nature of the phenomenon. The best
and most recent estimates from cult experts
and reviews of the literature are that there are
approximately 5,000 cults in the United
States alone, with approximately 2 million
members (Lottick, 2008), and that
approximately 10–20 million people have
been involved in one or more of these groups
at some point in their lives (Singer, 1993).
Worldwide involvement stands at
approximately 1% of the global population
(Kendall, 2016, p. 20). These numbers are
most likely low because the groups’ practice
of milieu control limits disclosure, and not
everyone who has or had a cult experience is
aware of the fact. Note that although 1%
sounds minimal, the numbers of actual
people represented are in the thousands, if not
millions, and when one considers the effects
on families of each of these members, the
numbers become even larger. We can assume
that at least half of these numbers represent
women, and in some groups (e.g., the
polygamous cults) female members
outnumber the men.
Reflecting this international phenomenon,
several countries have created cult watch
organizations to provide information,
education, and recovery. These include a
European federation of cult information
organizations under French law (European
Federation of Centres of Research and
Information on Sectarianism) the
Information Network Focus on Religious
Movements founded by sociologist Eileen
Barker at the London School of Economics
Info-Secte/Info-Cult in Canada and the
International Cultic Studies Association
(ICSA), an American-based organization.
The Jonestown Massacre
The People’s Temple came to the attention of
US authorities when families lost contact
with their children and asked Congress to
intervene. Jones and his followers fled the
country and set up a commune known as
Jonestown in Guyana. In 1978, Congressman
Leo J. Ryan and an investigative team flew to
Guyana, where they found that some people
wanted to leave Jonestown but Jones would
not allow it. Ryan announced he would take
anyone back to the United States who wanted
to go. The plane was attacked by Temple
members five people died, including the
congressman. Jones, who had become very
paranoid throughout the years, then
convinced his followers they were not safe
and that if the government came after them,
they would be tortured and the babies shot.
He instructed everyone to drink Kool-Aid
laced with cyanide and valium. “That day,
912 people died from the poison, 276 of
whom were children” (Rosenberg, 2018).
Defining a cult is difficult given its traditional
roots as simply a budding religion. An early
attempt emerged from the Wingspread
Conference at the University of California,
Los Angeles, in 1985 (West &Langone,
1986):
A group or movement exhibiting an
excessive dedication to some person,
idea, or thing ...and employing
unethical manipulative techniques of
persuasion and control, designed to
advance the goals of the group’s
leaders, to the detriment of the
group’s members, their families,
and/or the community. (p. 119)
What distinguishes an HDG from a benign
group are certain characteristics identified by
various experts (Singer, 1995 Tobias &
Lalich, 1994). Psychologist Jay Lifton (1969)
teased out the following eight criteria from
his work with prisoners of war subjected to
from society, no matter where in the world it
may be.
Accurate estimates of cultic groups and
membership are difficult to obtain due to the
secretive nature of the phenomenon. The best
and most recent estimates from cult experts
and reviews of the literature are that there are
approximately 5,000 cults in the United
States alone, with approximately 2 million
members (Lottick, 2008), and that
approximately 10–20 million people have
been involved in one or more of these groups
at some point in their lives (Singer, 1993).
Worldwide involvement stands at
approximately 1% of the global population
(Kendall, 2016, p. 20). These numbers are
most likely low because the groups’ practice
of milieu control limits disclosure, and not
everyone who has or had a cult experience is
aware of the fact. Note that although 1%
sounds minimal, the numbers of actual
people represented are in the thousands, if not
millions, and when one considers the effects
on families of each of these members, the
numbers become even larger. We can assume
that at least half of these numbers represent
women, and in some groups (e.g., the
polygamous cults) female members
outnumber the men.
Reflecting this international phenomenon,
several countries have created cult watch
organizations to provide information,
education, and recovery. These include a
European federation of cult information
organizations under French law (European
Federation of Centres of Research and
Information on Sectarianism) the
Information Network Focus on Religious
Movements founded by sociologist Eileen
Barker at the London School of Economics
Info-Secte/Info-Cult in Canada and the
International Cultic Studies Association
(ICSA), an American-based organization.
The Jonestown Massacre
The People’s Temple came to the attention of
US authorities when families lost contact
with their children and asked Congress to
intervene. Jones and his followers fled the
country and set up a commune known as
Jonestown in Guyana. In 1978, Congressman
Leo J. Ryan and an investigative team flew to
Guyana, where they found that some people
wanted to leave Jonestown but Jones would
not allow it. Ryan announced he would take
anyone back to the United States who wanted
to go. The plane was attacked by Temple
members five people died, including the
congressman. Jones, who had become very
paranoid throughout the years, then
convinced his followers they were not safe
and that if the government came after them,
they would be tortured and the babies shot.
He instructed everyone to drink Kool-Aid
laced with cyanide and valium. “That day,
912 people died from the poison, 276 of
whom were children” (Rosenberg, 2018).
Defining a cult is difficult given its traditional
roots as simply a budding religion. An early
attempt emerged from the Wingspread
Conference at the University of California,
Los Angeles, in 1985 (West &Langone,
1986):
A group or movement exhibiting an
excessive dedication to some person,
idea, or thing ...and employing
unethical manipulative techniques of
persuasion and control, designed to
advance the goals of the group’s
leaders, to the detriment of the
group’s members, their families,
and/or the community. (p. 119)
What distinguishes an HDG from a benign
group are certain characteristics identified by
various experts (Singer, 1995 Tobias &
Lalich, 1994). Psychologist Jay Lifton (1969)
teased out the following eight criteria from
his work with prisoners of war subjected to
