------------------------------------------------------------------- F.A.C.T.Net, Inc. (Fight Against Coercive Tactics Network, Incorporated) a non-profit computer bulletin board and electronic library 601 16th St. #C-217 Golden, Colorado 80401 USA BBS 303 530-1942 FAX 303 530-2950 Office 303 473-0111 This document is part of an electronic lending library and preservational electronic archive. F.A.C.T.Net does not sell documents, it only lends them according to the terms of your library cardholder agreement with F.A.C.T.Net, Inc. ------------------------------------------------------------------- CULT ABUSE POLICY & RESEARCH Policy Representation of Cult Victims' Unmet Needs at the Federal Level Vol. 2, No. 1 Newsletter January-February 1994 U.S. MARSHALS REPUDIATE SCIENTOLOGY ENDORSEMENT by David J. Bardin, Arent Fox Kintner Plotkin & Kahn Washington Counsel for American Family Foundation (AFF) and Cult Awareness Network (CAN) Larry Lee Gregg, General Counsel of the U.S. Marshals Service, has informed Con- gress that the U.S. Marshals intended no "endorsement, in any way, of an organiza- tion or group" by attendance at ceremonies sponsored by the Church of Scientology In- ternational (SCI). U.S. Marshals maintain order in federal court and enforce decrees. U.S. Marshals Concerned Gregg responded to an inquiry by Congress- man William J. Hughes (D-NJ), Chairman of the Subcommitte on Judicial Administra- tion, on behalf of AFF and CAN. Washing- ton counsel David Bardin asked whether the U.S. Marshals were lending their name to an effort to "improve the image of Sciento- logy." CAN's and AFF's challenge followed a series of SCI-sponsored "Drug Free Mar- shals" rallies with high-profile participation by government officials, culminating in a Washington, D.C. ceremony at which Cabi- net-member Lee P. Brown, the "Drug Czar," pinned SCI stars on fifty children. U.S. Marshals personnel also appeared at that rally, and Gregg wrote: "We are con- cerned that our actions in this case may have been misinterpreted, and as a result, we are in the process of refining our poli- cies on public appearances to ensure that a similar incident does not occur." The Mar- shals are independent of Lee Brown, who di- rects the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and is a member of Pre- sident Clinton's Cabinet. ____________________________________________ The September 3, 1993, Letter Director Brown Doesn't Answer We were surprised to read [on Aug- ust 10, 1993] that you participated in a Scientology ceremony -- pinning stars on 50 children ..... Although ostensibly a measure to combat harmful drug use, the ceremony seems more like a public relations stunt to improve the image of the Church of Scientology and . . . to forge links between law enforcement personnel of the Executive Branch and Scientology . . . . Is your Office aware of accounts of Scientology in Department of Justice court submis- sions, in judicial opinions, and in books and articles such as [Atack, A Piece of Blue Sky (1990) and Behar, Scientology the Cult of Greed (TIME Magazine, May 6, 1991)]? [signed] David J. Bardin Counsel for AFF and CAN ___________________________________________ No Response from "Drug Czar" Brown "Drug Czar" Brown did not answer similar inquiries. Indeed, his Office has not responded to requests to schedule a meeting to explain AFF's and CAN's concerns and share information. According to the Wash- ington POST, Brown did not know of Scien- tology sponsorship when he attended the rally, but said he would have taken part even if he had known. KEY MENTAL HEALTH SURVEY OMITS CULT FACTOR; FINDS 14% WILL HAVE 3 OR MORE SERIOUS DISORDERS The important new National Comorbidity Survey missed an opportunity to relate cult experience factors to mental disorders. The federally-funded survey, covering a cross- section of all Americans, identified for the first time that over 14% of the public has three or more serious (i.e., debilitating) disorders, such as anxiety, severe depres- sion, or substance abuse during their lives. The survey intensively interviewed a random sample of over 8,000 Americans. It used the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS) pio- neered by the National Institute of Mental Health, adding a sophisticated Post Trauma- tic Stress Disorder module. However the survey failed to cover cult experience factors because investigators did not think of them and advisers did not suggest inclusion at the time of survey design. The survey, led by the University of Michi- gan's Ron Kessler, is reported in the Ar- chives of General Psychiatry (January 1994) and the Wall Street Journal (Jan. 14, 1994, p. B1). According to the survey, 30% of participants report a mental disorder in the past 12 months; almost 50% will suffer men- tal disorder in their lifetime. Earlier sur- veys, limited to a few communities, had sug- gested a 12-month prevalence of 22%. RESEARCH DOCUMENTS CULTIST DIS- TRESS, PERSONALITY CHANGES Are cult experiences helpful, hurtful or benign? A new evaluation study published in the Cultic Studies Journal adds to evi- dence of harm. The study examined 111 for- mer cult followers upon entering residential rehabilitation and 66 of them a second time six months later. As they entered rehabilitation, 95% suffered "abnormal levels of distress in several of the personality and symptom scales." The 66 re-tested after 6 months showed "highly sig- nificant" favorable changes. On entering, 58% registered above the an- chor point for Dependent-Submissive per- sonality scale. After 6 months, the level was down to only 28%. Of the 66 tested twice, 52% initially registered above the anchor point for Anxiety Disorder; after 6 months only 27%. Initially, 18% registered above the anchor point for Schizoid-Asocial per- sonality; after 6 months only 1'%. The changes in personality scores, unmatch- ed in the literature, are consistent with clini- cal observations that cults impose "pseudo- personalities" on members. (Martin, Lan- gone, Dole and Wiltrout, "Post-Cult Symp- toms As Measured by the MCMI Before and After Residential Treatment," Cultic Studies Journal, 9:2 pp. 219-250.) Board of Advisers Q Peter N. Georgiades, Esq., Counselor at Law, Pittsburgh, PA Q Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D.. Thomas S. Trammell Research Professor of Child Psychiatry, Dept. of Psychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston. TX Q Herbert Rosedale, Esq., President AFF, New York. NY Q Patricia Ryan, M.P.A., Leg- islative Advocate. Sacramento. CA Q Margaret Thaler Singer, Ph.D., Emeritus Adjunct Professor, Psychology Dept. Univ. of California. Berkeley, CA Q Louis Jolyon West, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles. CA. Send communications to David J. Bardin QFax: 202-857-6395 Qlnternet: DJB%Arent_Fox@mcimail.com QPhone: 202-857-6089 ================================================================= If this is a copyrighted work, you are acknowledging by receipt of this document from FACTNet that on the basis of reasonable investigation, you have not been to obtain a copy elsewhere at a fair price, and that you are and will abide by the following copyright warning. 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UPDATED ON: 3/9/94 UPDATED BY: FrJMc =================================================================