Victims are often forced to take part in ceremonies or customs where violence and assault are normalized. Due to the routinely multi-perpetrator nature of these rituals, nearly all RA can be categorized as a form of organized abuse.
RA often has a spiritual aspect to it, as abusers may utilize religious dogma to ensure that their victims comply. Survivors may be told, “God wants you to be abused” or “Our holy scriptures say I must abuse you.” They may be tortured (or forced to torture others) as part of spiritual customs, such as worship ceremonies, feast days, prayer circles, religious holidays, etc.
Although most of the research done on religious RA focuses on Satanism, any religion can be twisted and used for abusers’ purposes. Groups often take spiritual concepts from many religions and combine them to create a bastardized religion that suits their needs. It is not uncommon, for example, for a non-Satanic group to use Satanic imagery to capitalize off of their victims’ fear of hell or demons. There are even cases of secular RA where religious themes are used to capitalize on moral panic.
RA can also be secular, or non-religious. Examples include the ritualistic celebrations of neo-Nazi groups on WWII anniversaries, initiation rituals held by gangs and cartels, self-mutilation rituals done in the name of personality cults, and more. Secular RA often relies on radical political ideologies, as seen in paramilitary groups and clandestine cells.
Some secular groups falsely purport their rituals as forms of behavior modification. Examples include rebirthing therapy rituals for children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder; the nonconsensual use of psychoactive drugs, such as LSD, in scheduled experiments on psychiatric patients; or extreme, nonconsensual aversion therapy sessions. These “therapeutic” rituals are often targeted at disabled children or people under care of the state. These experiences can make the idea of receiving actual therapy terrifying to survivors, hindering their ability to reach out for help.
Victims of RA are often painted as unreliable or susceptible to their therapists’ suggestions, and their stories go unheard. Some abusers intentionally use drugs, loud music, strange lighting, and even costumes to disorient victims and make their stories seem unbelievable. As a result, many survivors spend years questioning if their abuse truly occurred, leading to prolonged battles with intense self-doubt.
Survivors may come to associate certain dates and anniversaries with their trauma, causing a significant increase in symptom intensity around these dates. This intensification happens even when survivors are not consciously aware of the dates occurring. This is why many RA resources have calendars listing common dates that affect survivors of specific types of RA.
RA often has long-term effects on a survivor’s spiritual beliefs, leading to existential dread or religious anxiety. Spirituality can be a sensitive topic for many RA survivors. It is always best to ask a survivor before discussing it.