Customer Reviews

Ritual Abuse: What It Is, Why It Happens, and How to Help

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

There are many books today about ritual abuse. Some of them are wrtten by armchair sceptics, who, in spite of all evidence to the contrary, dismiss the whole subject as a "modern myth". Others are written by professionals who believe in the existence of ritual abuse but indeed write from a very distanced and academic point of view. This kind of books can of course be quite useful for researchers. But I think that the best boks about ritual abuse is written by survivors. This is one of these books. It is well written and pedagogic. I think it is a great recource for survivors, and to those who want to support them.

Of the books currently available on ritual abuse, Margaret Smith's is the clearest and cleanest. She shares information in a factual way without glossing over the experiences of survivors. This is a hard read, but one that is imbued with hopefulness, and belief in survivability. Anyone who seeks to understand the nature of good and evil should read this book, and work honestly with the reactions that will unavoidably come up.

I read this book with great sadness and hope. Almost all of what is described in this book has happened to me over a period of 18 years. I no longer felt quite so alone. It was a very difficult book to read, but it helped me educate psychology students in a nearby college about ritual abuse and MPD, which I was diagnosed with over a decade ago. Anyone who is a skeptic of ritual abuse should read this book. Ms. Smith starts with a reasonable arguement based with facts that ritual abuse does indeed exist. I also applaud the fact that this book was published in a cover that appeared non-threatening. (It's in soft pastel colors, unlike the red, black and white colors of the covers of some other books on ritual abuse.) Thank you Ms. Smith for your sensitivity and frankness. I hope this book will be on the published list once again.

Unfortunatly this book told me about me. I hope people will read it and try to help the innocent victims of this terrible crime. I admire Margaret Smith's courage and strength to write this book in order to educate and help people know and understand, and that there is hope for survival.

I don't believe that gentleman read the book, otherwise, he couldn't say that. 1/3 of the participants said they were ritually abused by 1 person, showing that they didn't "learn" and were coached about "what is ritual abuse" from their therapists. Other statistics are also astonishing, implicating some groups other than satansists. RA is very disturbing, but a real problem that shouldn't be thrown out due to fads - like FMS.

This book is ideal for newly discovered survivors and their allies seeking a greater understanding of ritual abuse. Survivors will find Margaret Smith's extensive research and compassion both reassuring and comforting. While some of the resources are dated, survivors will find many helpful tips on personal safety and practical advice on healing.

Initially the book starts off slowly; a well versed survivor would probably be familiar with this material. As it progresses, she lists specific guidelines and suggestions for finding safety and ending ongoing abuse. Margaret also lists various types of ritual abuse and addresses the symptoms many experience.

Unfortunately in our society these courageous souls are ignored and disbelieved. This not only makes healing more difficult, it also helps perpetuate ongoing abuse. Margaret Smith expresses many of the painful challenges survivors and their allies experience. Having finished this book, I walked away with a greater sense of compassion and a better understanding of how to help.

I give this book 5 stars because of the great information revealed in the two studies presented. It is a snapshot of how the topic of ritual abuse was addressed in the early 1990s - the laws that were on the books, what children's families were reporting, what adults were reporting. Like the title says, details of "who, what, where, when and why" are presented. The book is lacking in some of its conclusions and analysis, but much of that is probably due to the newness of the subject and inability to see where the country was heading. Her website: [...] gives a fresh perspective, I find more realistic.

I've seen too much damage come out of the trumped-up ritual abuse hysteria of the '80s/'90s. Thank God (yes, I'm a Christian), that this mostly-imagined phenomenon is no longer "happening." This book, while well-intentioned, is not based in reality.