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04:37 PM MDT on Thursday, May 27, 2004

Maggie O'Mara
Idaho's NewsChannel 7

BOISE -- Before you send your child off to college, you warn them about drinking and drugs. But have you ever considered warning them about high pressure religious groups? A local family says their kids were targeted on the BSU campus and they want you to know what to look out for.

"There were a lot of people my age who were going to this group," said Carly, a BSU student.

Carly is a freshman at Boise State. She claims members of a religious group right across the street from the BSU campus offered her meals and friendship and then began to reveal the group's controlling nature.

"I just thank god that she looked at the truth and saw that it's not healthy," said Carly’s mom.

Carly's mom is grateful that her daughter left the group, but says another young family member, Amy, is still heavily involved.

"They have recruiters working in the campus, I want people to know it's very hurtful to raise a daughter and then you have them lost to this, and if I could save somebody else's daughter I would like to," said Amy’s mom.

The family says Amy also joined the group while taking classes at Boise State and now they have very little contact with her.

"She's lost to us," said Amy’s sister.

When confronted by family members about their concerns, this was the response Amy gave her sister. "She tells us it's her own free will."

Amy's family says she's moved in with other church members, left her fiancé, and gotten rid of most of her possessions, including her pets.

"It doesn't happen that often, but when it does, there are definitely concerns," said Dr. Carol Pangburn, who counsels students at BSU and knows how vulnerable they can be.

"They feel confused and they're not sure what to believe. They are still trying to figure out who they are and what their values are, and where their place in the world is. I think a group that would tend to want to isolate someone from friends or family -- that would be a red flag," Dr. Pangburn said.

But Dr. Pangburn also says college is a time when many students discover healthy spirituality on campus, and she says several churches and groups are positive parts of college life.

"What they do is provide a connection and a sense of community and that's very important for students who are new to the campus. It's more of a broadening experience than it is an isolating experience," Dr. Pangburn said.

Amy's family is convinced she is not involved with something healthy.

When asked what Boise State should do – this was the response from Amy's sister. "I believe they should be warning kids about high pressure groups."

"What the family wanted me to do was to get involved with the church and stop them from something. That's not something that we have any control over, or right to interfere. We can't, we won't, we don't," said Dr. Peg Blake, BSU Vice-President of Student Affairs. "We co-exist with most religions and faiths that are surrounding the campus as most universities do."

Blake says students like Amy are adults and have the right to make their own life decisions. After meeting with the family, Blake says she tried to contact Amy to check on her welfare, but had no success.

"I do care a lot. Caring and being able to do something are two different things," Blake said.

There is a section on the school website warning about characteristics of "high pressure groups" and symptoms of involvement, but is Boise State doing enough to educate kids about this?

"We have to continue to get the message out as much as we can. We probably can do more, we probably should do more, it's a matter of having that message there when somebody's ready to listen," Blake said.

Dr. Pangburn says that's where she comes in. "I think this would be a good area for us to expand in, so it's good that you brought this to our attention."