Bethan Oake- Satanic Moral Panic: Then & Now

When, and how, do rumours and conspiracy theories become widespread moral panics? The Satanic cult conspiracy theory (otherwise known as ‘the Satanic myth’ or ‘the Satanic legend’) alleges that secret, evil, Satanic cults exist who seek to morally subvert and control society – often through targeting and harming children. 

The origins of the legend are traceable to the early Middle Ages, where it has since periodically resurfaced in the form of ‘Satanism Scares’: moral panics concerned with the threat of Satanism. 

These moral panics are disproportionate to reality, and instead act a mirror to the fears and prejudices of their societies. Through these events, unfounded allegations of Satanic crime lead to the unjust demonisation and persecution of innocent individuals and communities. 

This talk will first explore the most recent of these scares, a phenomenon that occurred from the 1960s-1990s known as ‘The Satanic Panic’ which resulted in countless false accusations, arrests, and jail sentences of innocent people across America (and beyond). It will then present an analysis of current online Satanic cult conspiracy theory rhetoric from the last 2 years, presenting case studies that demonstrate its ongoing impact in recent years. Today, there has been increasing speculation that we may now already be experiencing the next wave of Satanic moral panic. But is that the case? And if so, what does it look like?

Bethan Juliet Oake is a PhD researcher in Sociology of Religion at the University of Leeds, specialising in moral panics, conspiracy theories, and contemporary occultism