I’ve looked at this from my perspective as a professional Appropriate Adult (AA).
Organised ritual abuse involves the systematic sexual, physical, and psychological abuse of children—and often adults—by groups who use rituals, coercion, fear, and belief systems to exert control over victims. Its purpose is not only abuse, but domination, silence, and long-term trauma.
One of the most significant messages from the research is that disbelief can itself become a safeguarding failure.
When survivors disclose experiences that appear extraordinary, professionals can be tempted to focus on whether the account fits our understanding of reality, rather than on the evidence of trauma, vulnerability, and harm. The result is that some victims continue to face barriers to being heard, believed, and supported.
For those of us working within criminal justice and safeguarding systems, this raises important questions about the role of Appropriate Adults.
Other research ( A Keating J, Van Goozen S, Uljarevic M, Hay D, Leekam SR) ‘ritualistic behaviours are associated with cognitive flexibility, as the child transitions repetitive behaviours are [also] evidenced. The researchers posit that the association between executive function and ritualistic behaviours “may become stronger with age in typically developing children.”
“Repetitive and ritualistic behaviours (RRBs) are a feature of both typical and atypical development. While the cognitive correlates of these behaviours have been investigated in some neurodevelopmental conditions these links remain largely unexplored in typical development. The current study examined the relationship between RRBs and executive functions (EF) in a sample of typically developing children aged between 37 and 107 months. Results showed that cognitive flexibility, and not response inhibition or generativity, was most strongly associated with the frequency of RRBs in this sample. In younger children (<67.5 months) cognitive flexibility was significantly associated with ‘Repetitive Behaviours’ but in older children (>67.5 months) cognitive flexibility was associated with both ‘Just Right’ and ‘Repetitive Behaviour’, suggesting that the association between EF and RRBs may become stronger with age in typically developing children.’…”
To improve outcomes for survivors, I believe three developments can assist:
🔹 Enhanced specialist training – Professional AAs require trauma-informed CPD that specifically addresses organised and ritual abuse, complex trauma, dissociation, coercive control, and barriers to disclosure.
🔹 Greater integration within the justice system – professional Appropriate Adults should be embedded more effectively within special measures, witness support arrangements, and court processes to ensure vulnerable individuals can participate fully and fairly.
🔹 Consistency across England and Wales – While some policing areas have developed strong AA provision and partnership working, access and integration remain inconsistent. A person’s location should not determine the quality of safeguarding support they receive.
Conclusion
The uncomfortable reality is that safeguarding systems cannot effectively protect people from harms they are unwilling to acknowledge.
If we are serious about becoming trauma-informed, survivor-centred, and evidence-led, then these principles must be reflected in frontline practice.
I would be interested to hear the views of colleagues working in safeguarding, policing, social care, health, liaison and diversion, and the courts.
Source: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/blog/shining-a-light-on-organised-ritual-abuse/
Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10014551/
#Safeguarding #ChildProtection #AppropriateAdult #CriminalJustice #TraumaInformedPractice #VictimSupport #SocialCare #MentalHealth #Policing #Courts


