Being non-hierarchal and peer led, with a culture of openness and trust, it may seem that a Naturalistic Humanist group, could be vulnerable to harmful participants. Destabilizing, damaging people appear in every walk of life so such people showing up at a Naturalistic Humanism Community group would not be shocking. The greatest challenge is posed by those who feel neither guilt nor remorse when they hurt others. Fortunately, they are very few — routinely estimated to be between one and four percent of the general population.
A well-functioning group, committed to the Naturalistic Model with a reflective, communicative, non-dominance, non-hierarchical culture, would be better prepared to protect itself from such people than in many other social settings. As long as the group’s culture is built upon the naturalistic model and the experimental mindset, anyone attempting to subvert the group and elevate themselves at the expense of others will not be able to conceal their agenda. When such individuals reveal themselves, the group will be able to take the necessary steps to protect itself. In the most extreme cases this would involve asking that someone not return.