A System of Belonging and Power

Many organisations operate like a family tree—hierarchical, tightly bonded, and often closed to outsiders. Membership is often inherited or selectively granted, and roles are clearly defined. This structure can offer emotional support, purpose, and belonging—but it can also become a mechanism of control. Examples include:

• Religions like the Catholic Church, where leadership flows from the Pope down to local clergy.
• Military organisations, with ranks and duties clearly defined.
• The security services, family backgrounds usually need at least 3 generations of clearance for someone to be recruited. Every detail of a person’s life and their social contacts are assessed. This prevents infiltration by other groups.
• Cults, such as the NXIVM group, which used hierarchy and secrecy to control members.
• Family-run businesses, like the Murdoch media empire, where leadership often stays within the family.
• Criminal networks, such as the Sicilian Mafia, which rely on loyalty and blood ties.

Social Bonds and Emotional Safety

• Close-knit groups can foster mental well-being through shared goals and mutual care.
• Members often prioritize group needs over personal ones,
  reinforcing loyalty and reducing conflict.
• Generational continuity, as seen in groups like the Salvation Army, can deepen identity and purpose.

Close-knit groups can provide strong emotional and practical support:

• In the Salvation Army, members often work together to serve communities, creating a sense of purpose and belonging.
• Military units often form lifelong bonds through shared hardship
  and teamwork. Generations can join the same services.

These environments can improve mental health by reducing isolation and fostering cooperation. However, they also encourage conformity: individuals may suppress personal needs to maintain group harmony.

Recruitment

The family tree is the perfect structure to organise members and to constantly recruit and acquire others. Some groups recruit through word of mouth or pre-existing social groups. Family members are ideal, as well as friends, because they already have social attachments to the group. Information about them is already known by the group. Unfortunately, sometimes membership is not voluntary but someone can be born into a group they do not like or forced to join.

Recruits can be unpaid and give over not just their time but some or all of their financial resources such as the FLDS – Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The financial, emotional and sexual abuse within the group was well known. Members were left powerless as individuals.

Outsiders can find it hard to be accepted by closed groups. It can be much harder to join such a group. Now groups may research every new member in detail through the internet and assess their suitability without the person’s knowledge or consent. Studying someone’s background before befriending them is a typical CIA tactic.

Each new members goes through a process of being accepted by the community. New members are gradually indoctrinated, often through emotional manipulation and isolation. Such groups use gradual indoctrination into the beliefs or rules of the group.

More open organisations can use the media to talk about their beliefs and continue to recruit. Such as evangelical churchs recruiting volunteers and raising money through televised preaching. 

Risks of Closed System

• The more isolated and self-contained a group is, the greater
  the risk of abuse.
• Indoctrination, surveillance, and punishment for dissent are common in cults and authoritarian groups.
• Leaving such groups can result in social exile, economic hardship, and emotional trauma.

Control Through Dependency

Many of us tolerate family and friends behaviour that we would not tolerate from others. It is more important to stay a part of the group, and therefore to avoid conflict with others. This social bonding constrains behaviour. The individual spends less time thinking about themselves and their own needs and focus on the needs of the group.

This group supervision and control can be lifelong. Each member of the family group is supervised and controlled by everyone else. There is little freedom for anyone in strongly bonded groups. Some of the individual’s power is passed over to the group and the group leadership. Their personnel identity is less important than the beliefs of the group. Close knit groups can also oppress an individuals rights and the freedom to be themselves. Dependency creates vulnerability.

• When a group provides all basic needs—food, shelter,
  relationships—it becomes difficult to leave.
• Surveillance and lifelong supervision can suppress individuality
  and autonomy.
• Democratic structures, where leadership is elected and accountable, offer healthier alternatives.

Abuse of power

• In some religious communes, members rely entirely on the group
  for everything.
• In cults, their power over other people is unquestionable. The more an organisation or group is closed, the less access members have to outside help and their civil and legal rights.

There is always a balance between the right to religious freedom, the right to privacy, the right to organise into groups and the need to apply the same laws to all groups and individuals. These laws are to prevent abuse of power and to protect members of any organisation. Everyone should have access to their civil rights.

Barriers to Exit and Outside Help

• Survivors of abusive groups often face similar challenges to those escaping domestic violence.
• Closed groups may discourage education and external support, making reintegration difficult. Home schooling may not follow any standard educational syllabus and merely teach writing, writing, and religion. This seem to be a deliberate strategy to pass power over to the leadership and away from the individual.

Leaving a closed group can be emotionally and practically devastating:

• Survivors of domestic abuse often face homelessness, financial instability, and emotional trauma.
• Former members of Jehovah’s Witnesses report being shunned
  by family and friends, losing all contact overnight.
• People leaving gangs may face threats or retaliation, especially
  if they try to expose wrongdoing.

Part of that indoctrination may involve refusing help from the outside world, such as the police, psychologists, teachers and other helping professionals. The punishments are severe for discussing the group with others. This further isolates the person from help.

Secrecy and Indoctrination

Closed groups often resist outside influence:

• Cults may forbid members from reading mainstream media
  or attending school.
• Extremist groups use online echo chambers to reinforce beliefs
  and discourage dissent.
• Authoritarian regimes like North Korea restrict access to outside information to maintain control.

• Domestic violence shelters, mental health services, the police and legal aid organisations help survivors rebuild their lives.
• Online forums and support groups connect people with shared experiences.
• Education and employment programs empower individuals
  to regain independence.

No one should be trapped in a system that denies their rights or identity. Legal protections, community support, and public awareness are essential to help people reclaim their freedom.

Democratic Structures as a Healthier Alternative

Groups that embrace transparency and democracy tend to be more ethical and productive. The more fair and accessible the power structure, the more peaceful and productive the group.

Democracy allows for checks and balances. Members can voice concerns, vote on leadership, and leave without fear of punishment. This prevents abuse in systems. When there is abuse within a system, it should be documented and reported. There is always help available.