An informal study of local teenagers by the Lexington (Kentucky) Herald- Leader in 1997 showed that _Most said there_s a subculture at nearly every school that includes Anne Rice-influenced gothic kids, faux vampires and outcast kids who dabble in the occult. After all, in the Bible Belt, what could be more shocking than experimenting with witchcraft, vampirism or Satanism?" The study concluded that most signs of teenage involvement in the occult (such as satanic symbols on book bags or bumper stickers) are merely a superficial sign of temporary rebellion against societal boundaries.

A small percentage of teens who show signs of occultic interests, however, become heavily involved in serious occultic practices. The results of their involvement in the occult can be tragic.

from "Youth and the Occult" by Jason Barker in The Watch Expositor, Vol. 15, No. 6 (1998)(internal citations omitted).