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This article is an electronic version of an article originally
published in Cultic Studies Journal, 1997, Volume 14, Number 1, pages 4-21.
Please keep in mind that the pagination of this electronic reprint differs from
that of the bound volume. This fact could affect how you enter bibliographic
information in papers that you may write.
Dominance and Submission: The Psychosexual
Exploitation of Women in Cults
Janja Lalich, Ph.D.
Abstract
The author describes the prevalence of the sexual exploitation of women in
cults. This may take the form of daily controls of sexuality and sex lives or
more overt abuses such as arranged marriages, forced sexual activity with the
leader, and rape. Sexual control is seen as the final step in objectification of
the cult member by the authoritarian leader who is able to satisfy his needs
through psychological manipulation leading to sexual exploitation. Key to
recovering from cultic sexual abuse is psychoeducation--that is, aiding the
former cult member to understand the nature of the overall system of deception
and manipulation that was used to exploit her. Through an examination of the
social and psychological influence techniques employed by the cult, former cult
members will be able to productively confront the issues related to their sexual
abuse.
Full text available through
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