JAIL SATAN, I MEAN HAIL SATAN 1

Jail Satan, I Mean Hail Satan

Tochi Chukwuocha

Stockton University

GSS 2191: Argument and Persuasion in the Social Sciences

Professor Avagliano

April 2022
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On the late nights when I find myself awake, I try to figure out how I could possibly

occupy my time, which I’m clearly not using for sleep. I open the multifaceted app, youtube and

fall down the endless rabbit hole that is watching ridiculous conspiracy theory videos. Even

though I know the theories in the videos aren’t real, it’s something that provokes thought and is

easily accessible. So, before I scare myself with how creepy some videos are and ultimately

change the content that I’m watching, a recurring thought that has always pondered in my mind

was “How is it possible for people to really believe in this stuff?” So when we had to choose a

conspiracy theory to do research on, I thought satanic panic was the most interesting to learn

about because it was clearly one of the most outrageous.

Firstly, began my research by understanding what this conspiracy is. Which lead to me

reading about people who fell victim to this and how the effects of this were detrimental. I found

myself shocked and in disbelief most of the time. It was crazy to read how some people’s lives

were ruined and how fast things spread causing mass hysteria. With this newfound information, I

think it is important to shed light on this topic.

The biggest challenge I faced was formulating and thesis that could be testable and

arguable. I wanted to express a different perspective on conspiracy theories. Another challenge

was trying to find sources, especially scholarly peer-reviewed sources that supported my claim. I

think the most useful source is the first one about the 4 different principles in believing in

conspiracy theories and the last source about the victims of these conspiracy theories. This

annotated bibliography contains scholarly and trusted sources that convey the claim. I do not

believe the amount of sources used is if to fully back up the claim, it is important to explain

multiple aspects of this conspiracy theory.

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Thesis: Laws and restrictions need to be put in place in order to prevent people from being

manipulated, spreading false information, and wrongfully accused of actions they did not

commit.

van Prooijen, J. W., & Douglas, K. M. (2018). Belief in conspiracy theories: Basic principles of

an emerging research domain. European journal of social psychology, 48(7), 897–908.

https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2530

The scholarly and peer-reviewed article “Belief in conspiracy theories: Basic principles

of an emerging research domain” written by Jan-Willem van Prooijen and Karen M. Douglas

published on July 31, 2018 views conspiracy theories as a social psychological phenomenon.

This article was very interesting and informative. Jan-Willem van Prooijen is a senior researcher

at the Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement and Karen M. Douglas

is a professor of social psychology at the University of Kent. Combining their knowledge in

different fields to argue the uprising relevance of conspiracy theories as a research topic. First, it

highlights two key insights that provided substance for current research on conspiracy theories,

the first key insight being, the belief in one conspiracy theory is the foundation of believing in

another conspiracy theory and the second key insight is that social structures influence people’s

feelings making them more susceptible to believing in conspiracy theories. A limitation that they

faced in their research was that the field lacks theoretical support that gives context to previous

findings, and enables novel predictions, and interventions that could reduce the prevalence of

conspiracy theories in society. Furthermore, this article derives into four basic principles of

believing in conspiracies and how they are consequential, universal, emotional, and social. This
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article does an amazing job at giving context and providing a structure for what it is trying to

convey. Disclaimer, this article does not speak on preventative measures that could be taken but

shines a light on the liability of being influenced by conspiracy theories.

Roysdon, K. (2022, April 8). How 'Satanic Panic' Came to Roil the Nation During the 1980s.

CrimeReads. Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://crimereads.com/satanic-panic-1980s/

This article was written by Keith Roysdon a lifelong writer and regular contributor to

CrimeReads and writer for other news sites. Covering how rumors, misconceptions, and

misinformation spread throughout the time of satanic panic was potent. He states that “TV

movies, breathless news reports, and amateur symbologists all played a part in the panic’s

mysterious spread through 1980s America.” Just small or unrelated things began to be deemed as

satanic. Also, having an underlying fear of being accused to be involved in satanic rituals when

you’re not. For instance, the company Proctor & Gamble was hit with allegations and had to file

lawsuits to try and depress the spread of the story. These reports only spread mass hysteria and

prove to be harmful to the public. Brings attention to the section titled, “The news spreads the

fear.” A well-known public figure, Geraldo Rivera, who was an NBC host and correspondent

said on tv in 1988 more than a million Satanists created a secretive network across the United

States and satan worship is becoming an epidemic. This makes me think about the propaganda

tactics, the tactic specifically being testimonial, people are more susceptible to believing him

because he is a public figure and tv personality. He did not apologize until 1995. It was not until

the mid-1990s people became skeptical about the reality of this conspiracy. This single is a single
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peer review but it is beneficial because it conveys how people spread misinformation about

satanic panic.

Dart, T. (2013, December 5). Texas pair released after serving 21 years for 'satanic abuse'. The

Guardian. Retrieved April 27, 2022, from

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/05/texas-couple-kellers-released-prison-satanic-ab

use

The article “Texas Pair Released After Serving 21 Years for Satanic Abuse” posted on the

website the Guardian written by Tom Dart and published on December 5, 2013, explores the

story and after of the couple Dan and Fran Keller who was wrongfully convicted in 1991 for

child sexual assault during Satanic Panic. Tom Dart is a freelance journalist in Houston, Texas.

Right off the bat I cannot help but feel furious because imagine 21 years of your life wasted

away for something you did not do. And on top of that, they did even serve their full sentence

which was 48 years. I would like to touch light on how easily they manipulated the children to

make these statements. It is so easy for such a small child to believe in these things. The Kellers

are one of many victims of America’s justice system and a prime example of why preventative

measures need to be taken to prevent incidents like this from happening again. Honestly what

hurts the most is that in some cases they still had to fight for an appeal and to be exonerated

despite statements and testimonies being recanted. The author included credible research by

professionals. Mary DeYoung is a sociology professor at Grand Valley State University in

Michigan. She states that the demand for daycares went up as women became more involved in

the workforce. This increased the anxiety about the well-being of the children. It can be seen that
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the repetition of outrageous claims “made by” the children shows emphasis on how dangerous

and impactful conspiracies can be in one’s life.