Exile

Exile is a complex method of psychological torture that equates to "social death" - it can be called other names (such as Shunning or Avoidance) and can be self-imposed or used as a crime, it is also often used by small communities or even some religious bodies to force people into "proper" behavior.

A cartoon depicting Napoleon's exile.

Many who suffer exile are denied the basic human contact that most require to live a normal life and the pain of being ignored or shunned by family and friends can be devastating - the severity of the exile varies from era, community and even purpose (for example a religious body many shun until the offender returns to "proper" thinking, while an exiled criminal may never be allowed to return to their home).