Psychological abuse in manipulative groups

In the different settings where it has been studied, psychological abuse has been defined as an elusive concept with a difficult operationalization (e.g., Almendros, Gámez-Guadix, Carrobles, Rodríguez-Carballeira and Porrúa, 2009). If this is the case in the family (e.g., psychological abuse against the partner, children or the elderly), school or work settings, it is even more so in the case of psychologically manipulative groups, a field markedly less investigated than the previous. Although much has been written about these groups, their practices and the psychological consequences of belonging to them, few studies approach the issue of the psychological violence among groups of which some of their members are the victims, and even fewer do it using empirical findings (Almendros, Carrobles, Rodríguez-Carballeira and Gámez-Guadix, 2009). This study reviews the studies investigating psychological abuse in group settings, particularly highlighting their evaluation and discussing their main findings. Finally, specific conclusions are drawn, some research gaps are identified, and guidelines are suggested for future study lines of interest.