cult recovery 101

ICSA Annual Conference: Former members’ process of recognizing and coping with experience of coercive control in religious cultic groups

ICSA Annual Conference: Former members’ process of recognizing and coping with experience of coercive control in religious cultic groups

ICSA Annual Conference: Former members’ process of recognizing and coping with experience of coercive control in religious cultic groups

Céleste Goguen, Marie-Andrée Pelland; Sunday, June 26, 2022; 12:00 PM-12:50 PM – online

The aim of this presentation is to analyze the process by which former members recognized and named forms of control, experiences of abuse and experiences of violence during her or his life within a religious cultic group after leaving the group. The analysis will include all forms of control «grounded in relational interactions, namely, behavioural tactics in which perpetrators gain and maintain power over their victims» (Duran and al., 2020: 145). It is also aimed to analyze the informal or formal help or services contacted to cope with the recognized victimization. Research on victimization in cultic groups defines with precision the process of control that can be experienced within cultic groups (Rodriguez-Carbeillera & al., 2015) such as brainwashing (Banisadr, 2014, Stein, 2016) thought reform (Langone, 2017), Bounded Choice (Lalich & McLaren, 2018) or Mind control, BITE model (Hassan, 2021). Some researches document forms of abuse within the group such as neglect, abandonment, isolation, emotional and social deprivation, and sexual abuse (Derocher 2018; Rodriguez-Carbeillera et al., 2015). Other research identifies consequences experienced by former members after they quit a cultic group such as psychological distress (Almendros & Escartin, 2017), difficulties to construct or reconstruct their identity (Matthews & Salazar, 2014 ; Salande & Perkins, 2011 ; Kern & Jungbauer, 2020), difficulties to find a job and to thrive financially (Matthews & Salazar, 2014), fear of being judged judge (Boeri & Boeri, 2009 ; Matthews & Salazar, 2014), even a sense of guilt about behaviours they had within the group (Coates, 2010). But research rarely analyzed the process by which a person’s names and recognizes abusive experiences. To explore that gap in knowledge, the life trajectory and narrative of ten former members were collected. Participants recruited were mostly former members of patriarchal communities where gender roles were traditionally defined (Gillian, 2018).

Céleste Goguen

Céleste Goguen

Céleste Goguen est étudiante à la maitrise en sciences sociales à l’Université de Moncton. Également, elle tient une majeure en criminologie à l’Université de Moncton. Dans le cadre de son projet de fins d’études, elle analyse la victimisation en contexte sectaire au Canada.

Marie-Andrée Pelland

Marie-Andrée Pelland, PhD, full professor and director of the sociology and criminology Department, Université de Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. She is also Vice-president of Info-Cult She received her doctorate from the School of Criminology of the Université de Montréal. Her dissertation is entitled, Allegations of Illegal Conduct: Effect on Social Reality of a Community of Canadian Polygamous Mormons. Marie-Andrée Pelland, PhD, est professeure agrégée et directrice du département de sociologie et de criminologie de l’Université de Moncton au Nouveau-Brunswick, Canada. Elle est également vice-présidente d’Info-Secte. Elle a obtenu son diplôme de 3e cycle de l’École de criminologie de l’Université de Montréal. Ses travaux traitent de la question de l’effet des conflits avec la société sur le fonctionnement des groupes religieux minoritaires. Sa thèse s’intitule : « Allégations d’entorse aux lois : Effets sur la réalité sociale d’un groupe de mormons polygames canadiens ».

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