Cultic involvement is considered a prime example of an undesirable high-risk behavior that can result when an individual is unable to cope with resolving psychosocial issues. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is effective in combating irrational beliefs about self and the world that may lead to undesirable behaviors. REBT is a form of CBT that educates individuals in disputing irrational beliefs. Enhancement of problem-solving skills has been shown to reduce vulnerability to a variety of psychological disorders. High scores in a variety of coping inventories have been shown to protect adolescents from developing psychological disorders and substance abuse. Peers and mentoring have been identified as essential supports for youth at risk. This is significant as an Australian newspaper article on the controversial Jesus People group describes youth alienation from their parents into the company of the group’s members.
These programs are often directed at informing individuals about the nature and extent of cultic involvement in their community. Usually funded by government or community organization grants, they are run by various groups, including ex-members associations, youth agencies, drug and health education organizations, and mainstream religious groups. The educational initiatives cover a range of primary, secondary, and tertiary settings. Given the global nature of cult involvement and emerging technology, an increasing emphasis is being placed on developing resources that can be accessed online.
A body informs these programs of knowledge about cultic groups and aims to provide information allowing individuals to make informed decisions about involvement in a group. Topics such as recruitment techniques, deceptive recruitment, and the psychological and social impact of cult involvement are usually addressed. Primary prevention is often an essential goal of education programs whereby young people are provided with information that will assist them in avoiding cultic involvement.
Education and Awareness Programs
Cults and other high-demand groups are adept at manipulation tactics that deceive the public. They usually present a positive front, a face that they create for the public and people they are trying to recruit – to the point where often the public face of a cult is the direct opposite of the private reality for members. High-demand groups are also becoming increasingly skilled at manipulating language to disguise their group’s nature and true intentions.
As an example, Scientology has become notorious for the use of ‘loaded language’ and their redefinition of common English words to Scientology-specific meanings. Teaching people to analyze groups and messages critically makes it possible to inoculate them against misinformation and manipulation. This also has the added benefit of improving general education standards and the ability of people to think and make decisions autonomously.
The key reason why so many individuals, young and old, become involved in cults, extremist or radical groups, and relationships that are abusive, destructive, and ‘cult-like’ is because they cannot recognize these groups for what they are. These education programs build awareness and provide information so individuals have a clearer understanding of cultic and abusive group behaviors and can make well-informed decisions about their involvement in a particular group.
Building Resilience and Critical Thinking Skills
Prevention must be more than knowledge and cognitive skills training. This is especially true if we accept the definition of prevention as a planned, deliberate effort that aims to bring about changes in conditions that lead to health and social problems. Cults are drawn to communities and campuses with the most vulnerable populations. Economic and social conditions leading to changes in family and school life have left many unsure who they are or what they want to become. Tolerance of alternative lifestyles and an absence of meaningful activities for youth have contributed to a climate where involvement in high-demand, alternative faith-based groups seems less an anomaly and more a regular choice in religious experimentation. High-risk individuals such as these can best be helped by a comprehensive approach that involves the whole community.
Some educational programs take the approach of immunizing potential recruits against cult involvement by arming them with knowledge and providing them with the cognitive skills to question and think critically about the groups they encounter. The basic premise of this primary prevention strategy is that an informed consumer can better resist sales pressure and make an intelligent choice. While this approach has intuitive appeal, little evidence shows that specific critical thinking and study skills education is directly effective in immunizing young people against problematic group involvement. An analysis of the effectiveness of educational programs in developing better resistance skills has troubling implications and is discussed in the next section.
Creating Supportive Environments for Vulnerable Individuals
One of the most effective means of creating a supportive environment is to develop a solid and healthy family unit. Research has shown that children who enjoy strong bonds with their parents are less likely to become involved in deviant behaviors and that a healthy family environment buffers stress and reduces the likelihood of an individual seeking unconventional sources of support. Information on what defines a healthy family unit is beyond the scope of this paper. However, ARPACT (the Association for the Research and Planning of Action to Counteract Pseudotherapies) in Switzerland has developed a prevention program based on the known risk factors predisposing someone to cult involvement and focuses on promoting mental health and socially responsible behavior to counteract those risk factors. This program includes helpful information for families and educators.
Vulnerable individuals, specifically children and adolescents, become involved in cultic groups in part because they do not feel supported either by their family, their peers, or their community. It is important to stress that a supportive environment does not inevitably prevent cult involvement, as individuals may still encounter recruitment efforts. Still, support is critical in the individual’s ability to resist those recruitment efforts.