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Desfiliação religiosa e abuso psicológico em grupo nas Testemunhas de Jeová
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Abstract(s)
Procurámos com esta tese contribuir para o conhecimento referente à desfiliação das Testemunhas de Jeová, e acerca da perceção de abuso psicológico cometido no seio deste grupo religioso. Realizámos em primeiro lugar uma revisão sistemática, com o objetivo de determinar a prevalência da perceção de abuso psicológico em grupo em ex-membros de seitas e cultos. Foram incluídos nesta revisão sistemática artigos publicados em língua inglesa e espanhola. Foi realizada uma busca sistemática da literatura em dez bases de dados eletrónicas para publicações anteriores a 2020. Foram encontrados apenas dois estudos, que reportaram uma elevada prevalência da perceção de abuso psicológico em grupo em ex-membros de seitas e cultos (M = 88.0%). Foram discutidas diversas limitações desta revisão sistemática. Depois, realizámos três estudos empíricos. O primeiro destes estudos teve como objetivos: a) identificar os motivos que levaram indivíduos de Portugal e do Brasil a desfiliarem-se das Testemunhas de Jeová; b) descobrir quais foram as consequências da desfiliação religiosa na vida dessas pessoas; c) explorar associações entre esses motivos e consequências da desfiliação religiosa; d) explorar associações entre a sensação de pertencer às Testemunhas de Jeová quando era membro e os motivos para a desfiliação; e e) avaliar o nível de depressão dos participantes e estudar a possibilidade da depressão ser uma consequência da desfiliação das Testemunhas de Jeová. A amostra foi constituída por 236 ex-Testemunhas de Jeová adultos de ambos os sexos (faixa etária: 16–66 anos), sendo na maioria brasileiros (62.7%) e portugueses (30.5%). Os principais motivos para a desfiliação das Testemunhas de Jeová foram: perda da fé na doutrina (26.8%), discordância ou desilusão com a liderança (14.9%) e discordância com alguns regulamentos e obrigações (11.0%). As três principais consequências da desfiliação das Testemunhas de Jeová foram: ostracismo (30.9%), problemas de saúde (26.3%) e sentimentos negativos (13.4%). O segundo estudo empírico teve como finalidade traduzir para português e encontrar evidência de validade baseada na estrutura interna e evidência convergente das pontuações da Group Psychological Abuse Scale (GPA) e da Psychological Abuse Experienced in Groups Scale (PAEGS). Não foi encontrada evidência de que a perceção de abuso psicológico em grupo seja um construto multidimensional e invariante entre grupos, nem que os dois instrumentos avaliem o mesmo construto. O terceiro estudo empírico teve como propósitos: a) calcular a prevalência da perceção de abuso psicológico em grupo em ex- -Testemunhas de Jeová em Portugal e no Brasil; b) explorar diferenças relativamente ao nível de perceção de abuso psicológico em grupo entre homens e mulheres, e entre portugueses e brasileiros ex-Testemunhas de Jeová; c) analisar uma possível relação entre a perceção de abuso psicológico em grupo em ex-membros das Testemunhas de Jeová em Portugal e no Brasil e a sensação de pertencer a esse grupo quando era membro; e d) explorar uma possível relação entre a perceção de abuso psicológico em grupo em ex-membros das Testemunhas de Jeová em Portugal e no Brasil e o nível de depressão dos mesmos. A amostra foi a mesma do primeiro estudo empírico. Verificámos que a grande maioria dos participantes percecionou as Testemunhas de Jeová como um grupo religioso abusivo (97.5% – GPA; 89.4% – PAEGS). As médias das pontuações obtidas na GPA e na PAEGS foram significativamente mais elevadas nos brasileiros do que nos portugueses. No entanto, o tamanho do efeito foi pequeno e médio, respetivamente.
With this thesis we tried to contribute to the knowledge regarding the disaffiliation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and about the perception of psychological abuse committed within this religious group. First, we carried out a systematic review with the objective of determining the prevalence of the perception of psychological abuse in group in former members of sects and cults. Articles published in English and Spanish were included in this systematic review. A systematic search of the literature was carried out in ten electronic databases for publications prior to 2020. Only two studies were found, which reported a high prevalence of the perception of psychological abuse in groups among former members of sects and cults (M = 88.0%). Several limitations of this systematic review were discussed. Then, we carried out three empirical studies. The first of these studies aimed: a) to identify the reasons that led individuals from Portugal and Brazil to disband the Jehovah’s Witnesses; b) to discover what were the consequences of religious disaffiliation in the lives of these people; c) to explore associations between these reasons and the consequences of religious disaffiliation; d) to explore associations between the feeling of belonging to Jehovah’s Witnesses when they were members and the reasons for disaffiliation; and e) assessing the participants’ level of depression and studying the possibility of depression being a consequence of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ disaffiliation. The sample consisted of 236 adult ex-Jehovah's Witnesses of both sexes (age range: 16–66 years), most of whom were Brazilian (62.7%) and Portuguese (30.5%). The main reasons for Jehovah’s Witnesses’ disaffiliation were: loss of faith in doctrine (26.8%), disagreement or disillusionment with the leadership (14.9%), and disagreement with some regulations and obligations (11.0%). The three main consequences of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ disaffiliation were: ostracism (30.9%), health problems (26.3%), and negative feelings (13.4%). The second empirical study aimed to translate into Portuguese and find evidence of validity based on internal structure and convergent evidence from the scores of the Group Psychological Abuse Scale (GPA) and Psychological Abuse Experienced in Groups Scale (PAEGS). No evidence was found that the perception of psychological abuse in a group is a multidimensional construct, nor that the two instruments evaluate the same construct. The third empirical study aimed: a) to calculate the prevalence of perceived psychological abuse in a group among former Jehovah’s Witnesses in Portugal and Brazil; b) to explore differences regarding the level of perceived psychological abuse in a group between men and women, and between Portuguese and Brazilian ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses; c) to analyse a possible relationship between the perception of psychological abuse in a group by ex-members of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Portugal and Brazil and the feeling of belonging to that group when they were members; and d) to explore a possible relationship between the perception of psychological abuse in a group by ex-members of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Portugal and Brazil and their level of depression. The sample was the same as in the first empirical study. We found that the vast majority of participants perceived Jehovah’s Witnesses as an abusive religious group (97.5% – GPA; 89.4% – PAEGS). The mean scores obtained in the GPA and PAEGS were significantly higher in Brazilians than in Portuguese. However, the effect size was small and medium, respectively.
With this thesis we tried to contribute to the knowledge regarding the disaffiliation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and about the perception of psychological abuse committed within this religious group. First, we carried out a systematic review with the objective of determining the prevalence of the perception of psychological abuse in group in former members of sects and cults. Articles published in English and Spanish were included in this systematic review. A systematic search of the literature was carried out in ten electronic databases for publications prior to 2020. Only two studies were found, which reported a high prevalence of the perception of psychological abuse in groups among former members of sects and cults (M = 88.0%). Several limitations of this systematic review were discussed. Then, we carried out three empirical studies. The first of these studies aimed: a) to identify the reasons that led individuals from Portugal and Brazil to disband the Jehovah’s Witnesses; b) to discover what were the consequences of religious disaffiliation in the lives of these people; c) to explore associations between these reasons and the consequences of religious disaffiliation; d) to explore associations between the feeling of belonging to Jehovah’s Witnesses when they were members and the reasons for disaffiliation; and e) assessing the participants’ level of depression and studying the possibility of depression being a consequence of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ disaffiliation. The sample consisted of 236 adult ex-Jehovah's Witnesses of both sexes (age range: 16–66 years), most of whom were Brazilian (62.7%) and Portuguese (30.5%). The main reasons for Jehovah’s Witnesses’ disaffiliation were: loss of faith in doctrine (26.8%), disagreement or disillusionment with the leadership (14.9%), and disagreement with some regulations and obligations (11.0%). The three main consequences of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ disaffiliation were: ostracism (30.9%), health problems (26.3%), and negative feelings (13.4%). The second empirical study aimed to translate into Portuguese and find evidence of validity based on internal structure and convergent evidence from the scores of the Group Psychological Abuse Scale (GPA) and Psychological Abuse Experienced in Groups Scale (PAEGS). No evidence was found that the perception of psychological abuse in a group is a multidimensional construct, nor that the two instruments evaluate the same construct. The third empirical study aimed: a) to calculate the prevalence of perceived psychological abuse in a group among former Jehovah’s Witnesses in Portugal and Brazil; b) to explore differences regarding the level of perceived psychological abuse in a group between men and women, and between Portuguese and Brazilian ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses; c) to analyse a possible relationship between the perception of psychological abuse in a group by ex-members of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Portugal and Brazil and the feeling of belonging to that group when they were members; and d) to explore a possible relationship between the perception of psychological abuse in a group by ex-members of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Portugal and Brazil and their level of depression. The sample was the same as in the first empirical study. We found that the vast majority of participants perceived Jehovah’s Witnesses as an abusive religious group (97.5% – GPA; 89.4% – PAEGS). The mean scores obtained in the GPA and PAEGS were significantly higher in Brazilians than in Portuguese. However, the effect size was small and medium, respectively.
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Keywords
Religião Seita coercitiva Desfiliação religiosa Abuso psicológico em grupo Testemunhas de jeová