The annual ICSA International Conference brings together researchers, health professionals, service providers, and survivors and their families from around the world to engage in open dialogue on the most pressing themes around cultic studies. The 2026 conference explores the theme: Expanding the scope of coercive control: Understanding abusive dynamics and their impacts across interpersonal, institutional, and cultic contexts. Log in to access the conference’s on-demand presentations and join live sessions at their scheduled times.
Published date
18.08.2026
This presentation examines how religious authority, scriptural interpretation, and communal norms can be used to sustain coercive control within insular Jewish sectarian communities. Drawing on survivor testimony, legal records, and existing research, Lea Lavy explores the ways obedience, gender roles, and social sanctions can reinforce systems of control while creating barriers to disclosure and intervention. Attendees will gain insight into the intersection of religion, power, and abuse, as well as the challenges of developing effective responses within closed religious environments.