The Politics and Experience of Ritual Abuse: Beyond Disbelief

by Sara Scott

Scott (sociology, social policy, and social work, U. of Liverpool) takes seriously the accounts of survivors about ritual abuse and satanic ritual abuse, but at the same time explores the politics of the field in which their accounts have emerged. She has no desire to convince readers that ritual abuse really happens, but wants to explore how validity is accorded to some kinds of life stories and not others, and how some people are constituted as reliable witnesses of their own lives while others are discredited. Ritual abuse happens in many religions throughout the world, she admits, but her focus is on those that have stirred controversy in the industrialized world since the 1980s. Distributed by Taylor & Francis. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

224 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2001

Reviews

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm fascinated by the topic of the Satanic Panic and its offshoots, and if you share that fascination you do probably have to read this book. Dr Scott is a UK based believer and this is mainly her PhD thesis in book form, inspired by her foster daughter "Sinead" who has claimed she was ritually abused.

Because of this background, you may or may not be inclined to read it but it's well worth it if you do to see both the academic backing shoring up the myth and to read some interesting insights on MPD and about SRA.