To create legal precedents, we need information, facts and evidence from people who have experienced the emotional, physical, and psychological harm, both short and long-term, of mandated organizational shunning. The number of families affected worldwide by mandated shunning, its scale, mechanisms and harms remain seriously under-researched.

We are so grateful that the University of Roehampton is currently conducting independent, ethics approved qualitative and quantitative research across diverse cultural, religious, and social contexts worldwide. Early findings identify recurring patterns of isolation, psychological distress, loss of support and barriers to seeking help.

A pilot phase has already been completed. It shows that coercive dynamics in groups can be measured systematically using a scale already developed and approved for use in domestic abuse dynamics.

The next phase, a Survey, requires thousands of participants from several diverse high-control groups to determine the prevalence and impact of mandated shunning, including whether it functions as a systemic form of coercive control affecting mental health, wellbeing, and quality of life.

Taking the Survey will help to provide the independent evidence that is needed to understand the true scale of the problem, inform safeguarding and human-rights responses, and give policymakers, professionals and affected families a reliable evidence base for action.

See the official MSRP website for more information.