Mothers in Cults: The Influence of Cults on the Relationship of Mothers to Their Children
Alexandra Stein’s 1997 article examines how high‑control groups systematically undermine the mother‑child relationship. Cults exert total authority over reproductive choices, limit mothers’ time with children, and monitor parenting through punitive surveillance. Interviews with six survivors reveal a “double bind” where obedience conflicts with maternal instincts, yet the bond often fuels a mother’s eventual escape. Post‑exit recovery is described as a protracted process involving financial, housing, and psychological rebuilding.
Recovering From Sexual Abuse in Cults: What Can We Learn From Neurobiology?
Doni Whitsett’s article translates cultic sexual‑abuse trauma into neurobiological terms, showing how coercive control dysregulates the HPA axis and autonomic nervous system. It explains concepts such as polyvagal theory, the window of tolerance, and neuroplasticity, and argues that body‑based practices...
Cults & Drug-Based Coercion: Lessons From Human Trafficking Cases for Cult Litigation
Robin Boyle‑Laisure’s article examines how recent sex‑trafficking prosecutions have expanded the legal definition of coercion to include the intentional use of addictive drugs. By supplying victims with drugs on credit, traffickers create debt and withdrawal fear, forcing commercial sex to...