Impact of high-control groups revealed

The Legislative Assembly Legal and Social Issues Committee conducted an anonymous questionnaire to learn more about recruitment methods, behaviours and the ongoing impacts.

Key amongst the interactive data report which gathered 317 responses is that more than a third (38%) said they were engaged in their group through a friend or family member.

A further 22% said they were born into it, while 11% said it happened during a time of personal hardship.

“ 'People who think they “could never join a cult” without actual education are more at risk. We are all at risk.’ ”

Questionnaire respondent

In the responses 94% of people said they had experienced psychological harm, including indoctrination, pressure to remain in the group and isolation.

A lot of people also reported experiencing a loss of personal freedom, limiting their autonomy, agency or access to basic resources and opportunities. More than half (52%) of the people who filled in the questionnaire experienced physical harm.  

A respondent said, ‘growing up inside this group has wired my brain for very black and white thinking. I am having to learn what I love and hate, because I had no choices for the past 13 years’.

The questionnaire insights delve into the various aspects of behaviours used by coercive high-control groups including emotional abuse, financial control, forced labour or unpaid work, physical violence, sleep deprivation and restricted access to education or medical care.

‘As girls, we were discouraged from pursuing higher education, leading me to forgo university and work in the family business,’ a respondent said.

‘This lack of education made finding work outside the family business extremely difficult, limiting me to minimum‑wage jobs, which was particularly stressful and disempowering after my divorce.’

Committee Chair Ella George said the questionnaire and accompanying public submission phase of the inquiry is an important way for members of parliament to gather information.

‘Lived experience is essential to understanding the reality of coercive groups—from how they recruit and maintain control over people, to the long-term impacts on members, those who leave, and their loved ones,’ she said.

‘These insights will help inform the Committee’s work going forward and provide an important foundation for recommendations.’

The Lower House Committee is due to report to parliament by the end of September 2026.

In the meantime, the Committee has commenced public hearings, and the questionnaire insights are available to read on the Committee’s website.