Investigator's guide to allegations of 'ritual' child abuse/Chapter 12
XII. SUGGESTED READING
1) Cooper, John Charles. (1990). The black mask: Satanism in America today. Old Tappen, NJ: Fleming H. Revell Company.
Probably the best of the large number of books available primarily in Christian bookstores and written from the Christian perspective. This one, however, is written without the hysteria and sensationalism of most. Recommended for investigators who want information from this perspective.
2) Hicks, Robert D. (1991). In pursuit of Satan: The police and the occult. Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books.
Undoubtedly, the best book written to date on the topic of satanism and the occult from the law enforcement perspective. Robert D. Hicks is a former police officer who is currently employed as a criminal justice analyst for the state of Virginia. Must reading for any criminal justice professional involved in this issue. Unfortunately, in the chapter on "Satanic Abuse of Children," the author appears to have been overly influenced by extreme skeptics with minimal or questionable credentials in this area. The book is easy to read, logical, and highly recommended.
3) Richardson, James T., Best, Joel, &. Bromley, David G., eds. (1991). The satanism scare. NY: Aldine de Gruyter.
The best book now available on the current controversy over satanism written from the academic perspective. The editors and many of the chapter authors are college professors and have written an objective, well-researched book. One of the great strengths of this book is the fact that the editors address a variety of the controversial issues from a variety of disciplines (Le., sociology, history, folklore, anthropology, criminal justice). Because of its academic perspective, it is sometimes harder to read but is well worth the effort. The chapter on "Law Enforcement and the Satanic Crime Connection" contains the results of a survey of "Cult Cops" and is must reading for law enforcement officers. The chapter on "Satanism and Child Molestation: Constructing the Ritual Abuse Scare" was written, however, by a freelance journalist who seems to take the position that these cases involve little or no real child abuse.
4) Terr, Lenore. (1990). Too scared to cry: Psychic trauma in childhood. NY: Harper and Row.
An excellent book written by a psychiatrist that provides important insights into the nature and recallability of early psychic trauma. For me, Dr. Terr's research and findings in the infamous Chowchilla kidnapping case shed considerable light on the "ritual" abuse controversy.