The ritual abuse of children: Implications for clinical practice and research

Research has indicated that the sexual abuse of children, once thought to be rare, is actually a common phenomenon (Crewdson, 1988). Prevalence estimates of child sexual abuse in the academic literature vary. Recent studies have shown that when women were questioned about their childhood sexual contact with adults, 19% (Finkelhor, 1979), 38% (Russell, 1983), or 62% (Wyatt, 1985) answer in the affirmative. Finkelhor reports that 9% of males have had experi? ences of sexual abuse as children. While the variance in these estimates is likely a result of differing research methodologies and sample populations, resistance to reporting abuse suggests that the lower figures may be modest approximations of the prevalence in the general population. In the midst of new insights concerning sexual abuse, there has been a remarkable increase in public awareness of what has been labeled ritual or satanic abuse. The reports are often so bizarre and unsettling that every new disclosure is accompanied by confusion and disbelief. The available knowledge consists primarily of reports of adult survivors and relatives of child victims, as well as police reports and therapeutic case studies. In spite of numerous corroborating reports from various areas of the country, the nature and content of these reports often provoke questions concerning credibility.