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How to create ex-cult member survey about social support networks

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Adam Sabla

·

Aug 22, 2025

Create your survey

This article will guide you on how to create an Ex-Cult Member survey about Social Support Networks. With Specific, you can build comprehensive surveys for this audience in seconds—just generate one with our AI survey builder whenever you need deep feedback insights.

Steps to create a survey for Ex-Cult Members about Social Support Networks

If you want to save time, just generate a survey with Specific. It's genuinely this simple:

  1. Tell what survey you want.

  2. Done.

You honestly don’t even need to read further—Specific's AI handles everything. It brings expert knowledge to the table, crafting the right questions and even following up in real-time to dig deeper for the best possible insights. If you want to create totally custom surveys for any audience or topic, you can always start from scratch at our AI survey generator; just describe your needs and let the AI take over.

Why Ex-Cult Member surveys about Social Support Networks matter so much

Let’s be clear: if you’re not regularly collecting feedback from ex-cult members about their access to social support, you’re overlooking crucial data. After leaving cult environments, the emotional toll can be enormous—research shows 83% of former cult members experience anxiety, fear, or worry, and 76% deal with anger toward group leaders post-exit. [1] That’s a vast majority facing barriers most people never encounter, and without targeted surveys, you’ll miss insights they’re uniquely positioned to share.

Another powerful motivator: 70% of former cultists reported receiving psychotherapy after leaving—so emotional recovery is clearly front and center for this community. [1] By running Ex-Cult Member feedback surveys focused on Social Support Networks, you can:

  • Pinpoint which support interventions are actually helpful

  • Spot gaps in resources or assistance

  • Capture lived experiences essential for adapting recovery programs

  • Strengthen connections among survivors by inviting honest dialogue

The importance of Ex-Cult Member recognition surveys cannot be overstated: you get ahead of silent suffering, ensure voices are heard and translated into action, and keep the recovery journey moving forward for everyone who needs it.

If you’re not running these, you’re missing out on potential breakthroughs—both for helping individuals and for expanding knowledge in this often underserved field.

What makes a good survey about Social Support Networks?

Writing a great survey for ex-cult members is all about asking clear, unbiased questions that encourage honest, personal responses. Every part of your survey—from language to layout—should foster trust and openness so people feel safe to share.

Here’s a quick visual on best practices:

Bad Practices

Good Practices

Leading or judgmental questions (“Were you hurt because the group ignored your needs?”)

Open, neutral phrasing (“How did the group respond to your needs?”)

Too many yes/no or vague questions

Mix of open-ended and specific structured questions

Formal, cold language

Conversational and supportive tone

The measure of a high-quality survey is straightforward: you want both a high number and great depth of responses. The right wording will bring more people in—and get you the thoughtful, actionable feedback you really need.

Types of survey questions for Ex-Cult Member Social Support Networks

When crafting an Ex-Cult Member survey about Social Support Networks, variety in question type is essential. Each serves a unique role in surfacing experiences, needs, and actionable trends. If you want to dive deeper into the best questions for this topic, we’ve shared practical tips and more examples in our guide to survey questions for ex-cult member support surveys.

Open-ended questions are a powerhouse for exploring nuanced perspectives and context. They’re best when you want to uncover stories, emotional states, or where standard options just won’t cut it:

  • “What kind of social support has been the most valuable to you since leaving your group?”

  • “Can you describe a moment when you felt especially supported (or unsupported) by others after your exit?”

Single-select multiple-choice questions make it easy to gather structured data on common experiences or needs—fast, and without overwhelming respondents. For example:

Which of the following best describes your main source of support after leaving your group?

  • Family and friends

  • Professional therapist or counselor

  • Peer support groups (formal/informal)

  • Online communities

  • No consistent support

NPS (Net Promoter Score) question is ideal for quickly gauging overall satisfaction with support resources. This also unlocks powerful follow-up analysis later. You can generate a tailored NPS survey for ex-cult member support networks instantly with Specific’s builder. Example:

On a scale from 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend your main support network to another former member?

Followup questions to uncover "the why" are invaluable for turning vague answers into rich, personalized insights—ask these whenever you get short or ambiguous responses, or when you want to better understand motivation and outcomes. For example:

  • “Why did you find [chosen support option] most helpful?”

  • “What could have made you feel more supported?”

If you’re hungry for more examples—or want practical tips for composing high-performing survey questions—don’t miss our in-depth guide to survey questions for ex-cult member support surveys.

What is a conversational survey?

Conversational surveys, like those built with Specific, use natural chat interaction instead of stiff forms. Picture a relaxed, supportive conversation—respondents answer at their own pace, and the survey adapts with intelligent followups and a tone that feels more like a dialogue than an interrogation.

Let’s compare traditional and AI-powered survey processes:

Manual Surveys

AI-generated Surveys

Static questions, rigid order

Smart, adaptive questions with real-time followups

Time-consuming to build and edit

Instantly created from a simple prompt; edits are as easy as chatting (AI survey editor)

Limited engagement, high dropoff

Conversational and engaging—respondents give richer answers

Manual analysis of free-text responses is hard

GPT-powered AI summarizes and analyzes everything (AI response analysis)

Why use AI for Ex-Cult Member surveys? Expert-built, conversational surveys not only respect your respondents' time and emotional state, but AI also brings in expert knowledge—asking the right questions, adapting naturally, and even probing further to get to the heart of every story. If you want an AI survey example that really connects, this is the way. Specific's conversational format and best-in-class experience make sharing and gathering feedback intuitive for both you and the ex-cult members themselves. To learn more, check out our detailed guide on how to analyze results from ex-cult member surveys.

The power of follow-up questions

Follow-up questions turn a generic survey into a living, breathing conversation. With Specific, our automated AI followup feature listens and asks the right clarifying question, in real time, based on any reply. This uncovers full context and unblocks richer, more personal narratives while collecting detailed support experiences—something a static form just can’t rival.

Without these smart followups, crucial insights stay hidden. Take this simplified example:

  • Ex-Cult Member: “My therapist helped.”

  • AI follow-up: “That’s great to hear! In what ways did your therapist make the biggest difference for you after your exit?”

How many followups to ask? Usually, 2–3 thoughtful followups get you everything you need without overwhelming the respondent. Specific lets you customize this setting—and respondents can always choose to skip if they’ve said enough. This keeps things efficient while letting every voice be heard in depth.

This makes it a conversational survey, not just a one-way questionnaire—each response gets acknowledged, explored, and respected, making participants more willing to open up.

AI survey analysis and response analysis become straightforward when you use Specific, since our AI can help you synthesize even large volumes of free-text replies with ease. See our article on AI-powered survey response analysis for practical tips.

Since automated followup questions are a game-changer, don’t just take our word for it—try generating a survey and experience the difference. Your respondents, as well as your insights, will thank you.

See this Social Support Networks survey example now

Unlock deeper insights and create your own survey with Specific’s AI-driven, conversational style—see how easy it is to surface real stories, motivate participation, and transform the way you support ex-cult members.

Create your survey

Try it out. It's fun!

Sources

  1. ICSA Home. Are Cultic Environments Psychologically Harmful? (articles1.icsahome.com)

  2. ICSA Home. Cult Experience and Psychological Abuse (articles1.icsahome.com)

Adam Sabla - Image Avatar

Adam Sabla

Adam Sabla is an entrepreneur with experience building startups that serve over 1M customers, including Disney, Netflix, and BBC, with a strong passion for automation.

Adam Sabla

Adam Sabla is an entrepreneur with experience building startups that serve over 1M customers, including Disney, Netflix, and BBC, with a strong passion for automation.

Adam Sabla

Adam Sabla is an entrepreneur with experience building startups that serve over 1M customers, including Disney, Netflix, and BBC, with a strong passion for automation.