PROJECT OVERVIEW

The Longer No Silent Project is a research study led by the University of Roehampton, investigating the psychological and social effects of mandated shunning in high-control religious groups.

Mandated shunning occurs when individuals are required to cut ties with someone who has left, been expelled, or is seen as disobedient to the group. While often framed as a private or religious matter, mandated shunning can function as a form of systemic psychological violence, with significant consequences for mental health, identity, and access to support systems.

This is the first large-scale, mixed-methods study to examine these harms by combining validated clinical measures with in-depth interviews. The project is survivor-informed, meaning it centres the voices and experiences of those directly affected, and trauma-aware, meaning all processes are designed to protect participants’ emotional safety and dignity.

By generating evidence-based insight into how mandated shunning operates—and how it affects individuals—the project aims to support changes in clinical practice, safeguarding, legal recognition, and public awareness.

RESEARCH AIMS

The No Longer Silent Project has two primary aims:

• To document the psychological, emotional, and social harm caused by mandated shunning, including the impacts on mental health, relationships, and identity.
• To explore whether mandated shunning should be recognised as a form of coercive control and a violation of human rights.

To do this, the study draws on perspectives from five key groups:

• Former members of high-control religious groups
• Therapists and clinical practitioners
• Legal professionals
• Human rights advocates
• Religious scholars

The project also includes a quantitative phase to assess the mental health impact of mandated shunning, as well as participants’ general well-being. Using validated psychological scales, the survey measures symptoms related to PTSD, depression, anxiety, suicidality, and social isolation.

This data will help identify how common these experiences are among individuals who have been shunned by high-control religious groups.

A key part of this phase is the piloting of the Faith-Based Coercive Control and Abuse Inventory (FBCCAI). This is a tool currently being validated to capture coercive behaviours specific to religious contexts, such as spiritual intimidation, enforced isolation, and doctrinal threats.

By integrating narrative insights and quantifiable data, this research aims to address a significant gap in understanding and aims to reframe mandated shunning not as a private choice but as a matter of public health and human rights.

OUR TWO-PART RESEARCH DESIGN

PART 1: QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS

The qualitative phase involves semi-structured interviews with:

• Former members of religious groups that practise mandated shunning
• Therapists and trauma experts
• Legal and human rights professionals
• Religious scholars

This interpretive approach allows us to explore how mandated shunning is experienced and understood across personal, social, legal, and cultural contexts. It captures the emotional, psychological, and communal dimensions of harm and provides the depth needed to complement the broader survey data.

This component also helps develop a theoretical framework that links psychological trauma with the legal and ethical implications of religiously sanctioned exclusion.

PART 2: QUANTITATIVE SURVEY

The survey phase invites individuals who have experienced exclusion, disconnection, or loss of contact from a religious group to share how it has affected their mental health and wellbeing.

This part of the study uses standardised psychological measures to assess symptoms of trauma, anxiety, depression, social isolation, and overall wellbeing. It also includes the Faith-Based Coercive Control and Abuse Inventory (FBCCAI)—a newly developed tool designed to capture forms of control specific to religious environments, such as spiritual manipulation, threats of divine punishment, and enforced isolation from loved ones.

You do not need to have a formal diagnosis or be certain that what you experienced "counts" as shunning. Many people struggle to name or make sense of what happened to them. This study is here to help explore and validate those experiences through evidence-based tools.

This phase complements our interview-based research by providing a broader view of how widespread and varied the psychological impact of shunning can be.

ETHICS AND SAFEGUARDING

Because this research addresses sensitive and potentially distressing experiences, ethical care and participant safety are central to the design of this study.

• All data is collected through secure, encrypted platforms, in accordance with GDPR, the Data Protection Act, and the University of Roehampton’s ethical standards.
• Informed consent, pseudonymisation, and the right to withdraw are upheld at all times.
• The project has received ethical approval from the University of Roehampton Ethics Committee (Ref: PSYC 24-489).

We understand that many people affected by shunning have faced fear, marginalisation, or stigma. This project is committed to creating a safe and respectful space where survivors can speak without risk and contribute to lasting change.

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