Patterns of high-control behaviour
Search the CLCI Hub catalogue by what is happening rather than by group name. Eighteen documented coercive patterns with linked profiles.
Introduction
Many people arrive at CLCI Hub already knowing the name of the group they are concerned about. Many more do not — they know only what is happening, and want to find documented language for it. This index is for that second case. Each pattern below links to a full profile (the underlying tactic page) plus the top groups in the catalogue documented to exhibit it.
If you are not sure which patterns match what you are seeing, the pattern-finder tool walks you through a short checklist and returns the closest matches, ranked by overlap with risk patterns logged on each group.
The eighteen documented patterns
- Shunning — coordinated social exclusion of ex-members.
- Financial extraction — escalating donation pressure, tithing, loans to the group.
- Information control — restriction of outside reading, news, and contact.
- Leader dependency — channeling all decisions through a single leader.
- Isolation from family — pressure to cut or reduce contact with non-members.
- Exit cost — material, social, and spiritual penalties for leaving.
- Child safeguarding — patterns affecting minors in the group.
- Labour exploitation — unpaid or below-cost labour for the group.
- Online recruitment — digital-first onboarding via parasocial leaders.
- Apocalyptic pressure — urgency framed by imminent end-times or world-collapse.
- Confession — required disclosure used as leverage.
- Sleep deprivation — schedule-based suppression of critical thinking.
- Dating/marriage control — group-mediated romantic and sexual decisions.
- Medical control — group-mediated access to healthcare.
- Education control — group-mediated schooling and external contact.
- Document control — group-held passports, IDs, immigration papers.
- Legal intimidation — threats of litigation against ex-members or critics.
- Retaliation — reputation attacks and harassment of ex-members.
Use the pattern finder
/patterns/finder is a short, private checklist that returns the closest matching groups from the catalogue, ranked by overlap. Inputs stay on your device.
Related on CLCI Hub
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