International Cultic Studies Association
The International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) is an American nonprofit organization focused on research into and education about cults and psychological manipulation. It was founded in 1979 as the American Family Foundation by Kay Barney, a father whose daughter had joined the Unification Church.
What you’ll find
The website offers resources for former members, families, and professionals, an online library, and information about conferences. ICSA publishes ICSA Today and the International Journal of Coercion, Abuse, and Manipulation. The former icsahome.com address redirects to the new site.
Background
ICSA grew out of the concerned parents’ movement of the 1970s and is also described as an anti-cult organization. On this list, it is included as a general framework for studying group pressure and influence; its work addresses cults and coercive groups in general. See also science and debate.
History and publications
The American Family Foundation began in Lexington, Massachusetts, and adopted its current name in December 2004. Michael Langone was the organization’s director and editor of the Cultic Studies Journal, which was first published in 1984. That journal was succeeded by Cultic Studies Review in 2001 and by the International Journal of Cultic Studies in 2010, which made way for the current journal in 2020. ICSA Today has been published since 2010. The association presents the John G. Clark Prize for scholarly work in this field.
Organization and conferences
ICSA describes its purpose as promoting research and open dialogue about psychological manipulation and the influence of cults. According to the website, the current journal is peer-reviewed and freely accessible, and the online library contains more than 150 scholarly studies. An international conference is held every year. The 2026 conference took place in San Diego from July 1 through 4 and focused on broadening the understanding of coercive control. According to the website, Jackie Johnson is the director, Carol Merchasin is chair of the board, and Debby Schriver is vice chair. ICSA can be supported through membership or a donation.
How to assess this source
ICSA itself does not take a position on gender-affirming care. Applying concepts such as group pressure and coercive control to the gender debate is a comparison that does not come from the association and is contested. A site that makes this comparison is described at Gendersekte.nl. Use the library as background on social influence; see also the social contagion hypothesis. A related source on this list is Freedom of Mind by Steven Hassan; see also society.