Mandated Shunning Research Project

Mandated shunning is when a religious group requires its members to cut off all contact with a specific individual. This typically happens when someone leaves the group, is labelled as disobedient or apostate, or is seen as undermining the group’s authority or cohesion. The practice can be enforced officially, through policies such as disfellowshipping, disconnection, excommunication, or unofficially, through social pressure, fear of punishment, or silent complicity. Those who do not comply may risk being targeted for shunning themselves. Not all groups may refer to this practice as "shunning". Instead, it might be described as "discipline", "marking", "disassociation", or "loving correction". But regardless of the name, the tactics are the same: withdrawal of contact, emotional severance, and social exclusion. The purpose is also the same—to isolate, control, and punish. The psychological impact can be profound and long-lasting.

Coercive control is a persistent pattern of manipulation, isolation, and domination used to control or influence another person’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviour, often without any physical violence. In high-control religious groups, this can include threats of spiritual punishment, demands for unquestioning obedience, cutting people off from outside sources and influences, and using guilt, fear, or shame to enforce compliance. Unlike single acts of abuse, coercive control works overtime. It restricts a person’s ability to think freely, make independent decisions, or sustain relationships outside the group. Survivors often describe it as living under constant pressure to conform or face losing everything, such as family, community, and salvation. As part of this study, we are validating a new research tool: the Faith-Based Coercive Control and Abuse Inventory (FBCCAI). This scale is designed to measure coercive tactics that are unique to religious contexts, such as spiritual intimidation, doctrinal threats, and enforced social isolation—tactics that often go unnoticed or unchallenged in legal and clinical settings. By studying these patterns, we aim to bring greater awareness to the psychological harm caused by coercive control—and to build the evidence base needed for better safeguarding, trauma-informed care, and legal recognition.