I prefer storytelling as a teaching tool. Listening to people. Sometimes we hear about an issue and fall into a cyclone of media driven extremes.
I prefer storytelling as a teaching tool. Listening to people. Sometimes we hear about an issue and fall into a cyclone of media driven extremes. 
Don’t words like recruitment, manipulation, or ideology make you imagine dark rooms, cult leaders, or “evil masterminds?” Something that happens to families and children “over there”. Anywhere but where you live.
That’s not usually what happens.
Most of the time, it looks far more ordinary than that.
It involves regular people — teachers, friends, youth pastors, camp counselors, relatives, neighbors — many of whom honestly want to help and truly care about children.
And that’s what makes it so complicated.
What we think this looks like
We imagine:
bad people doing bad things on purpose
scary strangers showing up from nowhere
obvious danger signs (red flags)
something that “would never happen in my family”
But that picture can make us miss the real pattern.
What it usually looks like instead
More often, it looks like:
praise for saying the “right” things
belonging offered when a child agrees
pressure that feels caring instead of forceful
adults who are convinced they’re helping (especially enablers)
encouraging commitments before children can fully understand the long-term meaning
No villains.
No spooky soundtrack.
Just situations where children are gently nudged into identities, beliefs, marriages, relationships, connections, or choices they’re not developmentally ready to evaluate.
Pressure that makes their world, and them feel smaller.
And because children want to:
belong
be praised
avoid disappointment
feel special
please adults
they are especially vulnerable.
In truth, nearly all of us are vulnerable to this — at every age.
A simple guiding principle
Avoid creating environments where children feel nudged, praised, or morally obligated to commit themselves to frameworks they cannot fully grasp — especially when those choices may have lifelong consequences.
Children deserve room to question.
Room to grow.
Room to say, “I’m not sure yet.”
And adults deserve support while navigating this — because none of this is easy.
Watch, learn, and take your time: Viewing list for parents
These films and episodes aren’t about “evil masterminds.”
They help us see how ordinary pressure works — how people get drawn in gently, slowly, and sincerely.
Watch on your own time, at your own pace.
Law & Order / SVU
Charisma — Season 6
Glasgowman’s Wrath — Season 16
Parasites — Season 6
Movies
- Martha Marcy May Marlene
- The Master
- Sound of My Voice
- The Wave (Die Welle)
- 📺 Betrayal: The Perfect Husband (Hulu)…A definite must-watch!!
- Surviving My Father: The Rachel Jeffs Story
- 🎥 The 13th Wife: Escaping Polygamy
- Gwen Shamblin Lara — The Way Down (HBO Max)
Documentaries
Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey
Wild Wild Country
- 📺 IMPACT x Nightline: Confessions of a Child Bride: Courtney Stodden’s Story
- 📺 Escaping Polygamy
- 📺 Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence
- 📺 The Act While not exactly about a groomer outside the family, it deeply explores psychological manipulation and harm within a caregiving relationship — a mother convincing a daughter she is sick when she is not, with devastating outcomes. Wikipedia
These are heavy. Pause when you need to. Reflect afterward. Ask:
Who was vulnerable?
What did belonging offer them?
Where did pressure hide?
Who noticed — and who stayed silent? Why? What obstacles were they facing?
- Did anyone notice danger but talk themselves out of it? Why?
- How does the group talk about children’s behavior, mistakes, or needs?
- Have I ever ignored my instincts because I didn’t want to seem rude, judgmental, or unfaithful?
- Who are the safe people I can call when something doesn’t feel right?
- How do healthy communities respond when someone raises concerns?
Why These Stories Matter
These shows help illustrate real-world patterns of harm where:
✔ a person seems normal, loving, accomplished
✔ trust is easily given
✔ secrets are hidden
✔ victims and families are confused
✔ deception is gradual, not obvious
Why experts sometimes need to be involved
This can show up in families, schools, youth groups, therapy settings, online spaces, and — very often — child custody cases.
When it does, it may require professionals who are:
trained in child development
skilled in recognizing subtle manipulation
neutral and focused on the child’s well-being
experienced in high-conflict family situations
able to slow everyone down and protect the child first
Even if you are NOT in a custody dispute, it is completely appropriate to seek knowledgeable help simply to:
understand what you’re seeing
get language for what feels “off”
learn how to support your child without panic
That isn’t overreacting.
That is responsible parenting.
Parental Affirmation
I am learning to trust my inner knowing — slowly, gently, boldly. I don’t need to rush clarity, and I don’t have to apologize for protecting my peace. My mind is sharp, my heart is wise, and the lessons I’ve lived have given me insight that grows stronger every day. I can pause. I can observe. I can choose. And each time I choose truth, safety, and self-respect — I rewrite the story of what is possible for me and for the children who are watching.