PROTECTION OF THE YOUNG FROM THE INFLUENCE OF DESTRUCTIVE SECTS

Abstract

The last decades of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century have
been marked with a large number and fast spreading of religious sects, which have turned into a worldwide pandemic. Crisis of the value system and the disorientation of society pose a fertile ground for the emergence of sects and ever so easy recruitment of the young into these sects, which offer help and solution to the young, often manipulating them for their personal benefi ts. Sect members are the young aged 12–20 who are subjected to different psychological methods and “brainwashing” in order to embrace a new value system, contrary to the religious norms and social system in general. Most often in the background of these sects is procuring members to prostitution, drug use, pedophilia, crime and alike. Some sects force the young to commit suicide so they would sacrifi ce themselves for the Satan. All this points to a serious social problem which is unfortunately still perceived as “a myth” and “a taboo” in our society. For this reason the aim of this paper is to indicate some traits and features of sects, along with parents and teachers, as well as behavior change in order to timely identify the young who have joined up a sect and raise awareness of people about the need for the prevention of this phenomenon in the family and schools.