What do we do about negative social control?

Healthy environments can develop into unhealthy environments, which chamber into negative social control. What can the churches and what can the politicians do to prevent it?

COMMENT: Social control takes place in all sorts of places in society. It is a perfectly common interpersonal mechanism, which happens every time an individual adapts to the norms and behaviors of a group in order to belong.
But when does social control turn into negative social control?
Social control turns into negative social control when adaptation to a group or attitudes occurs not from a person's own desire, but as a result of outside coercion or control. This could be in the form of threats, the infliction of blame, persistent reproaches, ostracism or surveillance, but also in the form of outright physical coercion such as detention or violence.
Negative social control is not about attitudes - people must believe and think what they want, and they must pass on beliefs and values to their children. Negative social control, on the other hand, is about the way in which one passes on one's attitudes. Is it marked by coercion, or is it a natural adaptation in a community?

How does negative social control arise?
Negative social control does not occur over one night. It grows out of an environment in which there is a predominance of unhealthy elements.
A healthy environment is characterized by freedom to think, think and believe as one wants, and there will be freedom to express this. In addition, financial and leadership structures will be clear and transparent, and leaders will have someone they are accountable to.
An unhealthy environment is characterized by a self-directed leadership -- either an individual or a group. Likewise, there will be an expectation that everyone should think, think and believe the same thing, and guilt and shame are deliberately used to tamper with. In addition, the world is perceived as black-and-white, where the 'outside' is demonized, while what is' inside 'is considered safe, real and true. Dismissal is met with suspicion.
An unhealthy environment can boil over into negative social control, where a self-directed leader or other members of a group use the means of force to force people to live out the group's attitudes.

What can churches do?
? Benevolence, accountability and shared commitment are some of the essential parameters for promoting healthy environments, and thus counteracting unhealthy environments that can lead to negative social control. In FriKirkenNet, we emphasize that our member churches are transparent in relation to finances and leadership. We also expect all member churches to have statutes ensuring accountability so that no leader can become obstinate. And finally, we emphasize that churches engage with the community and each other.
Unfortunately, there have been cases in the ecclesiastical landscape of negative social control in the form of coercion and manipulation. In the cases that we have come across, we have done what we could to help victims and their relatives, and we have collaborated in such with organisations such as Inside Out and Children's Conditions, as well as police and social services to ensure competent, multidisciplinary and effective response.

What can politicians do?
Right now, there is only limited help from the public sector if those over the age of 18 have been subjected to negative social control. We would like to see the provision of free psychological help for victims over the age of 18.
It would also be relevant for an independent organization like “Inside Out” to come up with the Finance Bill. Right now, the association is run by enthusiasts who help victims of negative social control out of their own pocket — a government grant would give them the resources to provide the necessary support in the form of psychological help, support, temporary residence, advice to social services and police, etc.
In addition, we see a clear advantage in setting up a specialised unit within VIVE, for example, which can advise, guide and train caseworkers and other public authorities who come into contact with victims of negative social control.
Finally, it would probably have a preventive effect in terms of preventing healthy environments from developing into unhealthy environments that devolve into negative social control if priests and religious leaders are subject to the same kind of accountability to their members as psychologists are to their patients, for example.

Photo: From TV 2's documentary “God's Best Children”