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Resource Guide
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Suggestions
for Ritual Abuse
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Psychological
Manipulation, cult groups, sects, and new religious movements
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Suggestions
for Occult/Ritual Abuse
Most inquiries to AFF about ritual abuse and occultism fall
into the following categories:
- people (family, educators, clergy, mental health
professionals) concerned about loved ones and/or others involved with Satanism, other
aspects of the occult (e.g., witchcraft), or claims of ritual abuse, often related to
recovered memories;
- people who believe they are or may have been victims of some
kind of ritual abuse;
- law enforcement professionals seeking information pertinent
to cases involving satanic symbols or themes;
- parents who believe they have been wrongly accused of having
participated in the ritualistic abuse of one or more of their children.
Satanism, Ritualistic Abuse & Recovered Memories
This is a very controversial area, even among
professionals. Some claim that organized Satanism is rampant, that many children are
murdered in satanic ceremonies, and that thousands of adults (usually but not always
women) have recovered memories of early childhood ritualistic
abuse. Others maintain that, despite prodigious police efforts, no
significant evidence of sacrificed children has been found and that the vast majority of
recovered memories of ritual abuse are either distorted or implanted (e.g., by misguided
therapists, most of whose motives are probably honorable). Generally, there is agreement
that teenagers sometimes dabble in Satanism and that psychologically disturbed individuals
may incorporate satanic elements into their disorders, although there is disagreement
about how prevalent these problems are.
AFF tries to make available to inquirers resources from
both sides of this debate. These resources include:
Families who believe they have been wrongly accused of
ritual abuse might consider contacting the False Memory Foundation,
3401 Market Street, #130, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3315, (800) 568-8882.
Individuals seeking help or information from resources that
are sympathetic to claims of recovered memories might consider contacting the Sidran Foundation at 2328 W. Joppa Road, Suite
15, Lutherville, MD 21093, (410) 825-8888.
Other organizations and support resources can be found on
the links
pages.
AFF does
not endorse any organizational or individual resources it provides and does
not necessarily agree or disagree with the information or opinions, which may change over
time, they may provide. We give information on resources to facilitate the help seeking of
inquirers. We advise inquirers to be discerning and to examine multiple sources of
information.
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Resource Guide