Extremist Movements

  1. Leadership
    • Leadership may be one person or a small core of leaders
    • Charismatic leadership
    • Leadership claims to be divine or appointed by God
    • Leadership claims special Knowledge
    • Leadership teaches an absolute truth that can only be understood and interpreted by the leader
    • Leadership demands unconditional obedience
  2. Isolation
    • Meaningful contact with family and friends outside ceases to exist
    • Substitution of the group as the new family and support system.
    • Everything outside the community is explained as evil, reinforcing the exclusion of the group
  3. Psychological Deprivation
    • Lack of sleep and food.
    • Nutritionally insufficient food.
    • Isolation from the group as a form of punishment or discipline.
    • Development of psychological and spiritual dependency on the group.
  4. Psychological Manipulation
    • Undue influence over thought processes by coercive persuasion of behavior modification techniques without informed consent.
    • Constant and intensive indoctrination and exercises.
    • Group pressure to conform.
    • Using techniques which induce high level of susceptibility.
    • Use of fear and guilt to create emotional vulnerability.
    • Sensory overload forces acceptance of new doctrine, goals, and definitions to replace old values by expecting newcomers to assimilate masses of information quickly with little opportunity for critical evaluation.
    • Approving unethical or illegal behavior while claiming goodness of the group.
  5. Deception
    • Recruiting and fundraising with hidden objectives.
    • Use of leadership or cell groups to attract newcomers under false pretenses.
  6. Exploitation
    • Financial exploitation in surrendering money to the group or spending money for special programmes or projects adherents may not agree to.
    • Physical exploitation can be in labour intensive projects with little regard to health.
    • Physical exploitation can be physical abuse.
    • Engaging in inappropriate sexual activities, sexual abuse.
Author
Raleblanc2
ID
11970
Card Set
Extremist Movements
Description
Characteristics of Religious Extremist Movements
Updated