Advocates of the national hysteria theory do not deny the existence of ritual abuse, but feel its dimensions and links to the occult have been blown out of proportion. Some advocates go a step further, believing conspiracy advocates are victims of an "urban legend", a tale that spreads rapidly across the country with few changes in detail but which is almost impossible to trace to any actual event. Chief among their arguments are the following: If such crimes are widespread, where are the bodies; where is the physical evidence? Even if the bodies can be found, can the crimes be directly linked to the Satanic theology of true believers or are they really committed by psychopathic true criminals who use the occult for their own deviant purposes? Among the proponents are members of the criminal justice and academic communities (especially anthropologists and sociologists.) For example:

Sandi Galiant, veteran occult crime investigator from the San Francisco Police Department, submitted a report to the California Attorney General concluding, "While only a limited number of cases involving true ritual aspects have emerged, misunderstanding and misinterpretation of case indicators combined with cross-contamination and a hysterical response have allowed the issue to appear much more wide spread than it truly is. This has occurred not only within the State of California, but throughout the nation." (Gallant, 1988.)

Detective Michael O'Connor of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department has conducted hundreds of occult-related investigations, concluding that the "hard core Satanists" are usually members of small, closed groups opposed to networking. In fact, "networking among hard-core Satanists is very, very rare as Satanists make it clear they do not want everybody involved in their religion." (O'Connor Seminar, August 16, 1989.)

Kenneth Lanning, Supervisory Special Agent at the FBI Academy, contributes a cautionary warning, "Until hard evidence is obtained and corroborated, the American people should not be frightened into believing that babies are being eaten, that 50,000 missing children are being murdered in human sacrifices, or that Satanists are taking over America's day care centers. No one can prove with absolute certainty that such activity has NOT occurred. The burden of proof, however, as it would be in a criminal prosecution, is on those who claim that it has occurred. As law enforcement agencies evaluate and decide what they can or should do about satanic and occult activity in their communities, they might also consider how to deal with the type and hysteria of the 'anti-Satanists.' The overreaction to the problem can clearly be worse than the problem. An unjustified crusade against those perceived as Satanists could result in wasted resources, unwarranted damage to reputations, and disruption of civil liberties." (Lanning, 1989:30-31.)

Anthropologist and Minister J. Gordon Melton feels much of the current hysteria is due to the "intense crisis within evangelical churches. Evangelical leaders need the devil as part of their authority structure. Without the devil, they don't have anybody to fight." Thus, many fundamentalist Christians have a stake in perpetuating a belief in a dangerous, national network of Satanists who threaten the religious underpinnings of American society. (Melton interview, March 1989.)

Sociologist Jeffrey Victor's extensive study of a Satanic cult said to be operating in Western New York found the so-called cult had never existed and instead, was the result of a rumor-panic and economic self-aggrandizement. Rumor panics, he concludes, occur in small towns and rural areas due to "collective anxieties caused by economic stress and family deterioration, affecting particularly young blue-collar families. The metaphorical language of the rumors tells the story of families whose world is falling apart and whose ideals are being threatened by evil forces. These underlying sources of stress are being inflamed by vested interests, which gain income, members or audiences by exaggerating fears about satanic group activities." (Victor, 1989:45-46.)

Executive Director of the Family Service Agency of San Francisco, Ira Okun, recently wrote, "In 1987, our agency served over 7,000 family members where one or more children were at risk of child abuse and neglect...An inventory of the caseload revealed not one verified case of satanic or suspected satanic abuse. Also, no staff could recall any cases from past years...I feel that ritualistic abuse is a popular media subject and I do not deny that it may exist, but the hunt for witches is diverting the state's attention from the more massive, problem of child abuse." (Okun, January 9, 1989.)