College students’ attitudes and stigma toward current and former members of High-Control Groups: The impact of terminology
This study examines how terminology and membership status influence college students’ attitudes toward individuals involved in high-control or coercive religious groups, finding that linguistic framing and perceived stigma can impact reintegration and help-seeking behaviors.
Overview of research – Coercion and abuse in cults, trafficking and families
This presentation will provide a contemporary and historical overview of key areas of research internationally on cults and extremist groups and related areas of coercion including intimate partner violence, trafficking and gangs.
Religious trauma & coercion in Evangelical Christianity: A kingship theory of narcissistic control
This presentation explores how authoritarian and narcissistic dynamics can become embedded within Evangelical Christian theology and practice. Drawing on historical, psychological, and clinical perspectives, Andrew Jasko examines mechanisms of coercive control and their impact on believers while offering trauma-informed approaches to recovery. Attendees will gain insight into religious trauma, internalized shame, and pathways toward rebuilding autonomy and psychological wellbeing.
Out of line: A model for peer-led queer, trans, and Two-Spirit cult survivor support groups
This session presents a practical model for creating and sustaining peer-led support groups for queer, trans, and Two-Spirit survivors of high-control groups. Drawing on the experience of founding Out of Line in New York City, the presenters explore facilitation approaches, community-building strategies, and lessons learned from the group’s first year. Attendees will leave with resources, tools, and guidance for establishing survivor-led support spaces in their own communities.
A preliminary roadmap for establishing the freedom of mind in human rights law and psychology
This presentation proposes a framework for establishing freedom of mind as both a human right and a measurable psychological construct. Matt Bywater explores how existing international human rights protections could be expanded to address undue influence, coercive control, and authoritarianism, while outlining a research agenda for developing an evidence-based understanding of psychological freedom. Attendees will gain insight into an emerging interdisciplinary approach that bridges law, psychology, and human rights advocacy.
When shame becomes internalized control: An expressive arts approach
This presentation explores misplaced shame as a form of internalized control in complex trauma and dissociation, introducing expressive arts and trauma-informed approaches that support self-connection, agency, and emotional reintegration.
From performance to presence: Transitioning from scripted belonging to social ambiguity
Leaving a high-control group often marks the beginning of a new challenge: learning how to navigate everyday relationships. This presentation explores the psychology of post-cult socialization, examining why former members struggle with trust, identity, boundaries, and authentic connection, and offers a framework for understanding recovery beyond trauma and deconversion.
When they stay and you leave: Lived-experience strategies for supporting a loved one in a high-control group
High-control groups, often characterized by coercive persuasion and limitations on personal autonomy, can create significant relational strain when one member disengages while loved ones remain inside. Former members frequently engage in continuous relational work to maintain connections with those still embedded in such groups. This presentation examines research-informed strategies that support connection, reduce polarization, and […]
Sanctified control: Coercive dynamics in mainstream high-control religions
This pre-recorded presentation explores how coercive control mechanisms operate within mainstream high-control religious systems, particularly in Pentecostal environments, where obedience and conformity are reframed as spiritual devotion.
Coercive control in digital environments: Creating a buffer through cognitive security, mental health, and resilience
This presentation examines how coercive control operates in digital environments through mechanisms such as disinformation, parasocial relationships, algorithmic influence, emotional contagion, and social engineering. Vincent Starnino explores the emerging concept of cognitive security and argues that psychological resilience, social connection, and critical awareness can serve as protective buffers against digital manipulation.