If you've seen M. Night Shyamalan's movie The Village, then you will have a good illustration of how a boogyman can be used to keep children in line. In order to protect some children in the village, the parents made up stories about creatures in the forest. One should not enter their territory or cross the established barriers. The creatures in the forest appeared to be very frightening, with horns, fangs and long claws. Occassionally the children were allowed to see the creatures so that they would be afraid and stay within the village boundaries. According to one description, The Village is "An isolated, tight-knit community" that "lives in mortal fear of an oppressive evil inhabiting the forbidden forest just beyond their tiny village. So frightening that no one ventures into the woods..."
The only problem is, the creatures in the forest were fake. They didn't really exist as they were portrayed by the parents.
I thought this movie could be used to further illustrate what I was saying about Moise Amyraut in the post below. Amyraut is a theological boogyman to the high Calvinists today. High Calvinistic leaders (like the parents in The Village) use the label "Amyraldian" in order to keep their children within "safe" borders. It's like saying to them, "don't go there or that boogyman will get you!"
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