NCJ Number
148394
Journal
American School Board Journal Dated: (August 1989) Pages: 12-14,39
Date Published
1989
Length
4 pages
Annotation
While its impact and scope are often exaggerated, satanism may offer an attractive option to adolescents who are vulnerable because of inadequacies in their own lives.
Abstract
A satanic cult gives the adolescent something to belong to and acts as an immediate antidote to loneliness; it purports to be a source of power; it provides a sense of structure and order to the world; it gives adolescents a label that is special and exclusive to their group; and it provides a way of escaping conformity and the established values of society. For adolescents experiencing feelings of alienation and antisocial attitudes, satanism may offer them validation, support, and direction. However, even for most adolescents who may fit this description, satanism remains a bizarre and frightening prospect. This is because teenagers usually retain most of their parents' religious, moral, and political attitudes and beliefs. Counseling and peer outreach are the best methods of preventing involvement in satanic cults. The treatment of the problem of satanism is the treatment of the problems of adolescents in society.