IT'S TIME TO SPEAK UP!
WHAT IS NO LONGER SILENT PROJECT?
The Longer No Silent Project is a University of Roehampton research study investigating the psychological and social impact of mandated shunning in high-control religious groups.
The project explores how mandated shunning operates as a form of coercive control, and how it may affect mental health, relationships, and recovery. Drawing on both quantitative and qualitative data, the study seeks to examine rates of trauma-related conditions such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, and suicidality among survivors of this experience.
The project is survivor-informed—meaning it is shaped by the lived experiences and insights of those who have been subjected to shunning—and trauma-aware, meaning it is designed with sensitivity to the emotional and psychological needs of participants who may be affected by past harm.
By documenting these experiences with robust evidence, the project aims to inform mental health practice, safeguarding policies, and legal frameworks, contributing to a better understanding of mandated shunning as a form of abuse.
WHAT IS MANDATED SHUNNING?
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.
WHAT IS COERCIVE CONTROL?
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.
