Journal of Forensic Psychology

Abstract

Former Cult Members: Background and Treatment Implications

Sylwia Prendable*

Cults have been studied for over two decades since they have become more prevalent in our society. A cult is defined as a religious or other collective or radical political group with socially deviant and novel beliefs and practices. Although not all cults are violent, they can cause serious implications to those who are enticed to join them and can bring serious psychological harm, especially to those that try to escape them. Among all the cults that exist in our society, we can find religious, military, business, satanic and gang cults; some highly interconnected self-improvement groups and other political movements or even terrorist groups also exist, all following distinctive beliefs and attracting different types of individuals.

Published Date: 2024-07-29; Received Date: 2019-12-13