What is Ritual/Satanic/Sadistic Abuse?
As described by survivors, this type of abuse involves organized forms of severe sexual, physical, emotional, and spiritual abuse, often involving numerous perpetrators and numerous victims. Ritual/satanic/sadistic abuse occurs across the variables of race, gender, and socioeconomic conditions. The majority of victims are children when the abuse begins. (Smith, Margaret. (1993). Ritual Abuse: What It Is, Why It Happens, How To Help.) Often differentiation is made between satanic, sadistic, and ritual abuse. Ritual Abuse may be defined as abuse which occurs frequently, regularly, and/or in a formalized or systematic manner and often within the context of a group or “family” setting. Often ritual abuse is also performed in the name of an ideology or belief structure. Groups that perform ritual abuse use their ideology to justify the abuse, and abuse is used to teach the group’s ideology. Satanic Abuse generally involves ritual abuse that incorporates some form of devil worship and/or abu
