Ritualisms serve the same functions within violent organized family/group systems. They commonly involve a leader, an audience of like-minded others, and their victim(s)—infants to adults. The use of ritualism serves to normalize all forms of sadistic family/group torture influencing and reinforcing groupthink, cohesiveness, and belongingness. Ritualisms helps shape perpetrator-victim relationships. Perpetrators assert domination over victims, overwhelming them with drugs and reality distortions using costumes, chants, darkness, terror, torture, and horrification pain; using omnipotent themes and roles, programming victims to fit into their victim role. -NST











