Satanic ritual abuse

Satanic ritual abuse (SRA) can be defined as the extreme and sadistic sexual, psychological or physical assault on another, perpetrated by one or more Satanists in a specific ritual. It is similar to the terms ritual abuse, sadistic ritual abuse and organized sadistic abuse. 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.

In the interest of precision, therefore, addresses abuse that has a specific association with Satanic belief or symbols, and refers readers to the articles on forms of abuse that do not involve Satanic belief or symbols.

For this reason, one may question the relevance of sources that express concern, but do not use concern to some observers such as Gould, who does not actually describe Satanism other than in passing: "While ritual abuse is certainly an integral part of some kinds of Satanism, it is most likely that the deeper reason for the prevalence of ritual abuse is that, simply put, it reliably creates a group of people who function as unpaid slaves to the perpetrator group" without giving any details of Satanic abuse. Young's study does, in the available abstract, "Thirty-seven adult dissociative disorder patients who reported ritual abuse in childhood by satanic cults are described" but there is no further detail on the specifics of the Satanic symbolism or validation beyond patient accounts..

One article has termed the Wikipedia article on the subject a promotion of pedophilia, while others regard it as a moral panic or as a subversion ideology. 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."

He does, however, say

So far, no law enforcement agency or research study has found the kind of physical evidence needed to support accounts of SRA....Official government reports from several countries could find no such evidence to support claims about SRA.

The only social phenomena that exists which bares any resemblance to SRA claims are teenage delinquents and mentally disordered killers who call themselves "satanists". However, these deviants do not constitute an organization, a criminal network or a religious cult.

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." 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.