Susan P. Robbins

About the author: Susan P. Robbins an associate professor and associate dean for Academic Affairs at the University of Houston Graduate School of Social Work.

The panic over satanic ritual abuse (SRA) is a modern version of the medieval witch hunts. As in the days of the witch hunts, American society was undergoing a significant transformation. Media sensationalism about cults, child pornography, rising crime, economic insecurity, and family instability contributed to the belief in ritual abuse of children. These concerns were enhanced by therapists and counselors who advocated the theory of victimization. These factors combined to make a climate ripe for a societal panic about a satanic conspiracy and satanic ritual abuse.

Beginning in the early 1980s, stories of well-organized satanic cults began to emerge...