In this article, I explore the “Satanic Panic” of the 1980s and the factors that fostered such widespread hysteria for the American public.

With COVID-19, the world has currently ventured into chaos territory, but for now, we’re going to explore a rather different form of mass hysteria. The Satanic Panic ravaged the United States in the 1980s through the 1990s, igniting a moral panic among Americans as fear of Satanic ritual abuse become widespread. Thanks to modern media, moral panics can spread in record time, with this particular social issue arising over widespread fear about the impact of a certain evil on society’s well-being. Of course, the evil in question at the time happened to be Satanism, chiefly a fear over Satanic ritual abuse. While this particular moral panic started in the United States, by the ‘90s it had spread worldwide, spurring mass conspiracy theories that set the nation ablaze. But what spurred the sudden cultural interest in the occult, and how did the panic rise to the proportions that it did?

Let’s start from the beginning to understand the history of the Satanic Panic. Two big names likely ignited interest in Satanism: Charles Manson and Anton LaVey. Manson’s murderous cult ended the ‘60s in a horrific bloodbath, while LaVey’s The Satanic Bible was also published in the final year of the decade. With LaVey’s Church of Satan emerging in 1966, Satanism became an officially recognized practice in 1971. Early in the same decade, the American public was profoundly impacted by The Exorcist, published in 1971 and adapted to film in 1973. The enormously successful film terrified many with its claims of being based on a true story, partially sowing the seeds for the panic that was soon to emerge. The ‘70s also saw more publications by LaVey, who made occult practices seem like everyday occurrences. Coupled with the emergence of more notable cults carrying violence into the forefronts of people’s minds, a clear pattern of fear was establishing itself in the minds of many. Additionally, a number of serial killers received extensive media coverage in the ‘70s, such as the Zodiac killer, the Alphabet killer, Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, David Berkowitz (who infamously claimed a demon was speaking to him through his neighbor’s dog), and more. This combined tension was the perfect kindle to flame the panic that would follow in the next decade.

The Regan Era of the ‘80s was fresh with its own set of anxieties, as fears over the preservation of the nuclear family were prevalent and the HIV/AIDS pandemic ignited. While doors were once left unlocked and children were free to roam the neighborhood, the concept of “stranger danger” became commonplace as kidnappings, serial murders, and fears of violence spread across the news and throughout neighborhoods. Curiously enough, the rise in Christian fundamentalism also contributed to the Satanic Panic, as a literal belief in angels and devils was reinforced by evangelists. The emerging evangelical movement and modern media became the perfect coupling to foster a growing occult interest and the subsequent fear that accompanied this obsession for many Americans. The overall outcome of religious preaching and troubling newscasts was that people had to fear both strangers lurking in the shadows of their neighborhoods and Satan entering into their homes. With this well-layered backdrop of fears laid out, it’s easier to see how the subsequent mass panic emerged.

Satanic ritual abuse was at the forefront of the Satanic Panic, leaving a rippling effect of fear shocking the nation. Thanks to literary works, newscasts, media coverage, documentaries, religious broadcasts, and movies, the idea of a clandestine sex cult that committed ritualistic abuse became a mainstream notion despite the notions behind this claim remaining unverifiable. The slippery understanding of the subject cast fear and suspicion on everyone, as a panicked public rapidly realized that anyone could be taking part in devil worship and its nefarious accompanying activities. No one was safe from the scrutiny that they could be taking part in occult worship, casting shadows between acquaintances, friends, neighbors and, of course, strangers. False narratives were at the forefront of spinning demented fantasies about the occult, sending the puritanical public into a frenzy to attempt to keep the devil out of good Christian homes. Unfortunately, this fear would lead to many lives being tarnished before people were able to settle down thanks to a healthy dose of rationality.

Falsely spun accusations devastated innocent reputations, as a modern-day witch hunt of sorts arose among society at large. The focus was turned to ritual sex abuse amongst children, with false stories feeding the public’s panic. The Kern County abuse allegations led to sweeping allegations of a child ritual sex abuse local occult ring that saw social crucifixions based on what turned out to be false confessions by coached children. Following this widely covered case was the McMartin trial that started in 1983, earning the distinction of being the most expensive, largest, and longest trial in the history of California. 400 children were interviewed with highly questionable methods, falsely revealing that 359 of the children determined to have been abused. A plethora of false and outrageous abuse claims was then made, leading to a 6-year investigation and 5-year trial that eventually faded away due to an utter lack of evidence. A combination of mental illness, therapeutically implanted false memories, and people being influenced by the hysterical media contributed to the many false accusations. Fortunately, the failure to convict such cases eventually caused the public to view claims of ritual sex abuse with more skepticism, eventually diminishing the panic.

Despite the zeal in educating the public on the dangers of Satanism and torture/sex abuse cults, no evidence emerged to suggest the truth behind such often outlandish claims. Finally, in 1992, the myth surrounding Satanic ritual sex abuse cults was officially debunked by the Department of Justice and fears eventually died down. What remains notable about the Satanic Panic was how seemingly rational adults were swept into such consuming fear, with collective thinking fueling a panic that created ripples worldwide. Likely the panic was able to gain the traction that it did since it threatened a highly regarded element in society: innocence. With people fearing for the ritualistic abuse of their children, friends became formidable. The general sense of distrust that the panic stirred was disturbing in how far it reached, demonstrating the power that narratives can have— whether true or false— if they gain momentum.

A simple takeaway from all of this? Be wary of who, or what, you believe.