Religious Cults, the Individual and the Family

Abstract

Relatively little attention has been paid in the professional literature to the cult phenomenon: what it is, how it attracts converts, what differentiates the vulnerable youth from the non‐vulnerable; the effects of cult membership on the convert's family, and, particularly, in what ways the family can be aided during and after involvement with the cult. The authors have drawn on clinical observations, interviews, and extant literature from a variety of disciplines in constructing a portrait of the vulnerable youth; the techniques used by cults to attract, recruit, and convert members; the dynamics of the recruits family; and the most effective modes of therapy for intervening. The intent of the article is to stimulate: 1) professional awareness of and knowledge about the cults, and 2) further research into related family dynamics and therapeutic techniques.