Lottick, Edward: "Prevalence"



	International Cultic Studies Association Formerly AFF, American Family Foundation & The Psychology Faculty, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid presents
	Conference: Psychological Manipulation, Cultic Groups, and Other Alternative Movements Madrid, Spain July 14-16, 2005 Conférence: Manipulation psychologique, groupes sectaires et autres mouvements alternatifs À Madrid en Espagne du 14 au 16 juillet 2005 Congreso: Manipulación Psicológica, Grupos Sectarios, y otros Movimientos Alternativos Madrid, España 14-16 de Julio, 2005 The International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) is an interdisciplinary network of academicians, professionals, former group members, and families who study and educate the public about social-psychological influence and control, authoritarianism, and zealotry in cultic groups, alternative movements, and other environments. Founded in 1979 as AFF (American Family Foundation), ICSA took on its current name in late 2004 to better reflect the organization's focus and increasingly international and scholarly dimensions.


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	Index
	English Ω 1-Home Conference Ω 2-Program Ω 3-presenters/speakers Ω 4-Fees Ω 5-Ways to Register Ω 6-Facility and Lodging Ω 7-Travel Information Ω 8-Registration Fax/Mail Form Español Ω 1-Página Principal del Congreso - Español Ω 2-Programa Ω 3-Ponentes Ω 4-Cuotas de Inscripción y Alojamiento Ω 5-Formas de Inscripción - Español Ω 6-Lugar de Celebración y Alojamientos Ω 7-Información sobre el viaje Ω 8-Formulario de Inscripción Fax/Correo - Español Français Ω 1-page d'accueil du congrès - Français Ω 2-Programme Ω 3-présentateurs Ω 4-Frais Ω 5-Pour l’inscription - Français Ω 6-Services - Français Ω 7-Renseignements généraux de voyage - Français Ω 8-Formulaire d’inscription par télécopie ou par courrier Prevalence: A Review of Empirical Research in the U. S. A. Edward A. Lottick, M.D. The following questions are relevant to prevalence: § At any given time, how many cults are there? Are they increasing or decreasing? § At any given time, how many adherents are there? Increasing or decreasing? § At any given time, how many former adherents are there? Increasing or decreasing? The relevance of the following studies to these questions will be explored: § Bird and Reimer, 1982: Surveys of adult populations of San Francisco and Montreal yielded 20% participation in new religious or para-religious movements. § Hulet, 1984: Cult Awareness Network compilation of over 2000 groups about which they received inquires. § Bloomgarden and Langone, 1984: 3% and 1.5% of high school students in two suburbs of Boston said they were cult members. § Zimbardo and Hartley, 1985: Survey of a random sample of 1000 San Francisco Bay area high school students yielded 3% reporting membership in cultic groups. § Hart, 1989: Roper survey of teenagers and young adults yielded 1% reporting they had joined a religious cult. § ICR Survey Research Group for AFF, 1993: yielded 1% saying they had been involved in a cult or what others might consider a cult. § Lottick, 1993: Survey of 5400 physicians with 1500 responding found 2.2% reporting having had family member involved in cultic group with cult clearly defined as a noxious group: "a group which violates the rights of its members, harms them through abusive techniques of mind control, and distinguishes itself from a normal social or religious group by subjecting its members to physical, mental, or financial deprivation or deception to keep them in the group." Also overall 21% had either personal or professional experience and 16.8% had only professional experience with a noxious group. § Lottick, 2004: Survey of 3000 psychology professionals with 700 responding, probed awareness of "cults" which were defined as "adverse to adherent's long-run best interests." Statistical tabulation pending.
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