Are all unsafe or destructive groups isolated in compounds?
No. Isolation can often be less obvious. Many destructive groups create isolation through their control of a member’s associations with outside society. The group members may be discouraged from associating with outsiders–especially those who express a negative attitude about the group and its leader(s). Isolation can also be fostered by a kind of hyper-activity that allows little time for family, outside interests or friendships. Marshall Applewhite the leader of “Heaven’s Gate” controlled his followers through carefully subscribed daily schedules and regimentation, though the members were seemingly free to come and go at anytime. This regimentation and control took place in a mansion within a plush California neighborhood–not an isolated compound.
