Academic Research on Cults

Turning the attention to the academic side of cults, researchers have noted that there is a lack of research in cults, which is surprising as there were approximately 5,000 cults (in the 1990s) in the United States of America. One academic author who wrote about cults defined them as “...as a particular type of relationship that not only is based on an enormous power imbalance between the leader and followers but also includes a hidden agenda” (33). It is hard to understand if the Tuttle cult is a cult based on this definition as the cult has lost its power when the timeline of the show is starting. Thus, it is hard to see the power imbalance without the members of the cult (34). It is possible that more of the cult is shown in (future) seasons, but this website is only focused on season one. 

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Another similarity between real-life cults and the Tuttle cult is the sexual abuse that individuals (on the show only women and female children) may experience in cults (35). According to one study, it is believed that up to 40% of women in a cult have experienced sexual assault but this is believed to be a low estimate. It is worth noting that there are many different ways that members in a cult can be sexually abused, but this page will focus on abuse such as rape (36). Current research into cults states that there are 2 main reasons for this sexual abuse to occur.