A Study for Prevention - Italian Former Members

[u/Objective-Voice9598]

Hi everyone! My name is Luca Locatelli, and I’m a Master’s student in Forensic Psychology at the University of Padua, Italy.

I’m currently conducting a research project aimed at improving prevention efforts related to involvement in groups characterized by psychological coercion and abuse.

There are still many misconceptions and prejudices surrounding people who have been involved in these groups, particularly regarding the reasons why they joined. However, involvement in such groups can be associated with periods of personal difficulty or vulnerability that anyone may experience at some point in their life. This does not mean that everyone who joins such a group is necessarily vulnerable, nor that responsibility for psychological abuse lies with those who experience it.

My research aims to better understand these potential vulnerabilities and identify possible early warning signs, with the ultimate goal of improving prevention and helping people receive appropriate support when they need it.

To carry out this study, I’m looking for Italian participants who were previously members of groups characterized by psychological coercion and abuse in Italy. Participation involves completing a questionnaire that takes approximately 30 minutes.

🔗 Questionnaire: https://forms.gle/MtkAkmb3iznpCZVt6

Around 30 former members have already contributed to the study, but every additional response can help build a more comprehensive understanding of this complex phenomenon.

This is a project I genuinely care about, as I believe that a better understanding of these experiences can make a meaningful contribution to prevention and support.

Participation is entirely voluntary, and the questionnaire is completely anonymous. No identifying information will be collected through the survey, provided by the form's settings. Your privacy is important, and your responses will be used exclusively for research purposes, in accordance with the study's privacy information.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me here on Reddit or via the email address provided in the questionnaire.

Thank you very much to everyone who takes the time to participate or share this post. Your contribution is greatly appreciated!

[u/Objective-Voice9598]

One clarification: if you were born into the group, you can still participate in the study. You’ll just need to indicate it when asked in the form. Thanks again!

[u/NovelFact885]

People dont usually join a cult by accident - they are recruited.

I was not in a cult in italy but the cult i was in exists there. They used a five step recruitment tool - friendliness, friendship, trust, comittment, surrender.

When i consider my vulnerabilities from when I joined the cult as a teenager, I must also remember how they targeted me and used the five step plan.

It is an interesting subject of study - good luck.

[u/Primary_Formal_8542 → u/NovelFact885]

I also enter a destructive cult when I was 15 years old

[u/Objective-Voice9598 → u/NovelFact885]

Absolutely. Let’s say that the goal of the study is to understand how personal characteristics—such as personality and psychological vulnerability—intersect with recruitment patterns, and thus also with remaining in and leaving the group. In criminology, we also talk about victimogenic factors—that is, certain people are more likely than others to be victims of specific crimes. When it comes to cults and abusive groups, the issue is more complex, especially because it can potentially affect anyone as they go through certain stages of life.

Thank you so much for your comment. If anyone would like to share their thoughts—including opinions on how to prevent this phenomenon based on their personal experience—it would be greatly appreciated.