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Initiation is a ritual that in many societies throughout the world marks the end of social childhood; it both signals and effects the transition to adulthood of those who go through it. Many organizations, particularly those termed “secret societies,” also induct new members through an initiation ritual. Without undergoing the accepted ritual, these individuals are not regarded as adult, however old they may be, or as full members of the group they aim to join. Thus, initiation performs two distinct functions, although both of these concern admissions to a new social standing: as an adult and as a member of a group.