Satanic ritual abuse: Difference between revisions
imported>Neil Brick (fix dates) |
imported>Howard C. Berkowitz (Removed references not addressing Satanic, but other kinds of abuse) |
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| date = January 28, 2009 | author = B.A. Robinson | | date = January 28, 2009 | author = B.A. Robinson | ||
| url = http://www.religioustolerance.org/sra.htm | | url = http://www.religioustolerance.org/sra.htm | ||
}}</ref> | }}</ref> | ||
It is of serious concern to some observers | |||
It is of serious concern to some observers such as Gould, who said "The evidence is rapidly accumulating that the problem of ritual abuse is considerable in scope and extremely grave in its consequences" but did not give quantitative data, as did <ref name=Gould>{{cite journal |last=Gould, C. | |||
|date=1995 | |||
|title=Denying Ritual Abuse of Children | |||
|journal=Journal of Psychohistory |volume=22 |issue=3 |pages=328 - 329 |url=http://www.geocities.com/kidhistory/denyra.htm }}</ref> Young's study discussing 37 ritual abuse reports<ref name=Young>{{cite journal |last=Young |first=W.C. |coauthors=Sachs R.G., Braun B.G., Watkins R.T. |title=Patients reporting ritual abuse in childhood: a clinical syndrome. Report of 37 cases. |date=1991 |journal=Child Abuse Negl. |volume=15 |issue=3 |pages=181-189 |url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2043970?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=1&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed }}</ref>. | |||
One article has termed the [[Wikipedia]] article on the subject a promotion of [[pedophilia]],<ref name=SMART>{{citation | title = Press Release: Wikipedia “Satanic Ritual Abuse” article promotes PEDOPHILIA | One article has termed the [[Wikipedia]] article on the subject a promotion of [[pedophilia]],<ref name=SMART>{{citation | title = Press Release: Wikipedia “Satanic Ritual Abuse” article promotes PEDOPHILIA | ||
| author = S.M.A.R.T. | url = http://ritualabuse.us/ritualabuse/articles/press-release-wikipedia-%E2%80%9Csatanic-ritual-abuse%E2%80%9D-article-promotes-pedophilia/ }}</ref> while others regard it as a [[moral panic]] or as a [[subversion ideology]].<ref name=deYoung>{{citation | url = http://www.aaets.org/article26.htm | publisher = American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress | title = Sociological Views on the Controversial Issue of Satanic Ritual Abuse: Three Faces of the Devil | author = Mary deYoung}}</ref> Victor | | author = S.M.A.R.T. | url = http://ritualabuse.us/ritualabuse/articles/press-release-wikipedia-%E2%80%9Csatanic-ritual-abuse%E2%80%9D-article-promotes-pedophilia/ }}</ref> while others regard it as a [[moral panic]] or as a [[subversion ideology]].<ref name=deYoung>{{citation | url = http://www.aaets.org/article26.htm | publisher = American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress | title = Sociological Views on the Controversial Issue of Satanic Ritual Abuse: Three Faces of the Devil | author = Mary deYoung}}</ref> Victor observed "The rapid rise and decline of SRA accusations gives evidence to the volatility of | ||
| url = http://www. | a moral panic. Claims about ritual child abuse by satanic cults began to appear | ||
rather suddenly. The oldest known satanic cult "survivor" account was published | |||
in 1980 in the book, ''Michelle Remembers''. SRA testimonials, | |||
accusations and rumors spread rapidly thereafter in the United States during | |||
the early 1980s and then declined rapidly during the early 1990s." | |||
<ref name=Victor>{{citation | title = The Satanic Cult Scare and Allegations of Ritual Child Abuse | |||
| url = http://www.jstor.org/stable/1389563 | journal = Sociological Perspectives | volume = 41 | year = 1998 | author = Jeffrey S. Victor | pages =541-565}}, p. 545</ref> | |||
The long list of synonyms is a bit confusing, since not all [[cult]]s are Satanic, and not all [[sadism]] is ritualistic or even a group activity. Whether or not a given ritual is abusive is also dependent on context: eating pork is commonplace to billions of people, while forcing a devout Muslim or Jew to eat pork would be abusive. Some cultures believe male [[circumcision]] or [[female genital mutilation]] are quite appropriate, and neither Christianity or Satanism may have anything to do with their beliefs. | The long list of synonyms is a bit confusing, since not all [[cult]]s are Satanic, and not all [[sadism]] is ritualistic or even a group activity. Whether or not a given ritual is abusive is also dependent on context: eating pork is commonplace to billions of people, while forcing a devout Muslim or Jew to eat pork would be abusive. Some cultures believe male [[circumcision]] or [[female genital mutilation]] are quite appropriate, and neither Christianity or Satanism may have anything to do with their beliefs. | ||
Revision as of 21:50, 22 March 2009
Satanic ritual abuse (SRA) has been defined as "the psychological, sexual, and/or physical assault forced on an unwilling human victim, and committed by one or more Satanists according to a prescribed ritual, the primary aim of which is to fulfill the need to worship the Christian devil, Satan. The same source refers to it as synonymous for cult related abuse, ritual abuse, ritualized abuse, sadistic ritual abuse and organized sadistic abuse[1]
It is of serious concern to some observers such as Gould, who said "The evidence is rapidly accumulating that the problem of ritual abuse is considerable in scope and extremely grave in its consequences" but did not give quantitative data, as did [2] Young's study discussing 37 ritual abuse reports[3].
One article has termed the Wikipedia article on the subject a promotion of pedophilia,[4] while others regard it as a moral panic or as a subversion ideology.[5] Victor observed "The rapid rise and decline of SRA accusations gives evidence to the volatility of a moral panic. Claims about ritual child abuse by satanic cults began to appear rather suddenly. The oldest known satanic cult "survivor" account was published in 1980 in the book, Michelle Remembers. SRA testimonials, accusations and rumors spread rapidly thereafter in the United States during the early 1980s and then declined rapidly during the early 1990s." [6]
The long list of synonyms is a bit confusing, since not all cults are Satanic, and not all sadism is ritualistic or even a group activity. Whether or not a given ritual is abusive is also dependent on context: eating pork is commonplace to billions of people, while forcing a devout Muslim or Jew to eat pork would be abusive. Some cultures believe male circumcision or female genital mutilation are quite appropriate, and neither Christianity or Satanism may have anything to do with their beliefs.
A 1992 report by Kenneth V. Lanning, Supervisory Special Agent, Behavioral Science Unit, National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime, Federal Bureau of Investigation said "Most people today use the term to refer to abuse of children that is part of some evil spiritual belief system, which almost by definition must be satanic." [7] Williams observes that the definition is especially difficult for law enforcement. Ritual with a child is not necessarily abusive; rites of passage such as First Communions, Bar Mitzvahs, and other coming-of-age ceremonies are ritual by definition.
References
- ↑ B.A. Robinson (January 28, 2009), Satanic Ritual Abuse (SRA), Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
- ↑ Gould, C. (1995). "Denying Ritual Abuse of Children". Journal of Psychohistory 22 (3): 328 - 329.
- ↑ Young, W.C.; Sachs R.G., Braun B.G., Watkins R.T. (1991). "Patients reporting ritual abuse in childhood: a clinical syndrome. Report of 37 cases.". Child Abuse Negl. 15 (3): 181-189.
- ↑ S.M.A.R.T., Press Release: Wikipedia “Satanic Ritual Abuse” article promotes PEDOPHILIA
- ↑ Mary deYoung, Sociological Views on the Controversial Issue of Satanic Ritual Abuse: Three Faces of the Devil, American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress
- ↑ Jeffrey S. Victor (1998), "The Satanic Cult Scare and Allegations of Ritual Child Abuse", Sociological Perspectives 41: 541-565, p. 545
- ↑ Kenneth V. Lanning, 1992 FBI Report: Satanic Ritual Abuse, Behavioral Science Unit, National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime, Federal Bureau of Investigation