KIDS IN CULTS
They live m communal homes where they are saturated with apocalyptic religious teachings. Their exposure to mainstream culture is minimal, and they're schooled entirely at home. Can kids in "The Family" a religious group that many folks would call a cult--turn out psychologically normal?
Absolutely, says Oakland University's Lawrence Lilliston, Ph.D., who studied 52 Family kids in the U.S. and England. His conclusion: While the youngsters clearly subscribe to the group's ideology, they are well-socialized, relaxed, non-aggressive, show no evidence of mental disorders, and average well above the norm on IQ tests. In short, they would be the envy of many mainstream parents.
As long as kids in cults aren't abused--and very few are--relatives have little to fear, says Lilliston: "Children are more adaptive than most of us realize."
