Ritualistic Crime: Organized Child Abuse

Ritualistic Crime: Organized Child Abuse

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Ritualistic Crime: Organized Child Abuse

In law enforcement society, the exploration and study of ritual crime are contemplated from a behavioral view derived from approaches in the fields of criminology, psychology, and forensic science. Illegal ritual activities also called occult crimes, are disparaging and inaccurate titles, which are practical to most religious practices that are essentially peaceful. Actually, not all violent traditional activities are committed in the practice of religion. For instance, a ritualistic crime is a more accurate and non-subjective expression since it includes crimes that are not related to religious practice. These crimes are recognized to be acts of violence defined by the ordination of sexual, physical, and/or psychological activities joined with the ceremonial usage of symbols.

Criminal activities related to ritual violence may include organized child abuse, which is termed as a case in which children or minors are sexually abused by two or more individuals who at least one adult is a stranger and unrecognizable by the victim. This research paper will concentrate more on the role of ritual in organized child abuse and the psychiatric effects it has on the victims.

Discussion

In this case, children are sexually abused in a ceremonial or ritualistic manner. The likelihood of making early reports by adults and children on experiences of sexual abuse by more than one perpetrator is high. This practice first came to light in the 1980s in the investigations of the child protection departments and later from the victims and their parents attending psychotherapy sessions (Salter, 2012). In modern days, it has been identified in the criminal investigatory work in countries like North America, Europe, and the United Kingdom, and has been attested in child trafficking schemes in Europe and Africa.

A crime is termed ritualistic when it involves the offender's spiritual membership and beliefs in a church or cult, and when there are certain symbols such as a crucifix, the number 666, inverted crosses, and pentagrams in the perpetrator's possession.

The Role of Ritual in the Organized Child Abuse

Ritual abuses were one pattern used by abusive groups who manufactured pictures of children being abused, and other forms of organized sexual abuse such as child prostitution. Most child abuse practices are termed "ritualistic" and are more likely to be psychological and physical rather than sexual in nature (Muller et al., 1994). In sociology and criminology studies, the skeptical cases of ritual abuse had been established to be the most important and dis-logistic references to ritual abuse allegations as lacking credibility or content.

Child abuse connected to the view of witchcraft and spiritual possession is a rising event in the accounts of the child protection investigation. The notion that there are forces that can control these events and people is widespread in Africa and some African societies in the United Kingdom (Goodman et al., 1994). Whereas the same hypothesis exists in most beliefs, its usage in African culture may be evident in the UK environment as a solution to issues related to unemployment and immigration.

Salter (2012) assumes that desperate individuals frequently seek advice from church leadership, who at times are blamed on children since they are perceived to be the easiest to target. Orphans, children with inabilities, those having challenging behavior, and those who may have left home to live with their relatives, are generally likely to suffer from ritualistic crimes.

Findings

Most children's sexual abuse is ritualized in some way. The perpetrator uses routine, repetition, and rituals to compel children into the behavior patterns needed to introduce fear and ensure silence. According to Mullen et al., (1994), Sexual abuse is not considered to be a random act of lust since it always involves preparation and planning. Organized child sexual abuse is mostly about secrecy and power. Frequently, ritual abuse survivors fear for their lives because their offenders are extremely organized and have a lot to lose than reputability and custody.

Most victims undergo emotional abuse, which causes passive or aggressive inattention to their emotional needs, well-being, and nurturing. Sexual abusive acts immediately damage the victim's cognitive, physical, behavioral, and effective functioning (Salter, 2012). Most of them see themselves as damaged goods, others may be angry at their bodies for having been stimulated, which puts them at risk of acting out against their bodies. Additionally, they see themselves as bad individuals who need to be punished, hence manifesting in self-destructive measures such as suicidal attempts. As a result of organized sexual abuse, children may have a malformed sense of body image, and a change in these images such as being very untidy or obsessively neat are perceived to be possible indicators of abuse.

Conclusion

A ritualistic crime occurs when an offender's spiritual membership and beliefs in a church or cult are involved, and when there are certain symbols such as the crucifix. Organized child sexual abuse is a good example of a ritualistic crime, where children are sexually abused by multiple perpetrators, and at least one of the abusers is not a family member. Some of the individuals likely to suffer from these crimes include orphans, children with inabilities, and those having challenging behavior. Organized child sexual abuse is mostly characterized by secrecy and power. This is because the offenders are perceived to be extremely organized and care less about reputability and custody.

References

Goodman, G. S., Qin, J., Bottoms, B. L., & Shaver, P. R. (1994). Characteristics and sources of allegations of ritualistic child abuse. University of California.

Mullen, P. E., Martin, J. L., Anderson, J. C., Romans, S. E., & Herbison, G. P. (1994).      The effect of child sexual abuse on social, interpersonal, and sexual function in adult life. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 165(1), 35-47.

Salter, M. (2012). Organized sexual abuse. New York: Routledge.