Cohen's Moral Panic

"A condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges as a threat to societal values and interests: its nature is presented in a stylised and stereotypical fashion by the mass media: the moral barricades are manned by editors, bishops, politicians and other right thinking people, socially accredited experts pronounce their diagnoses and solutions; ways of coping are evolved or (more often) resorted to."  

Alternatively: moral panic involves the institution of "folk devils" that need controlling, which leads to increased social control.  This occurs during periods when powerful groups or the ruling classes face troubled times.  The panic then becomes a substitute for the real social issues.  

Historical Perspectives

• Football in the 1970's and 80's - Hooliganism
• Bicycles - 1890's - Cause of chaos and terror
• Rock + Roll - 1950's - "The Negro's Revenge"
• Video Nasties - 1980's
• Video Games - 1990's up until now
• Internet (I.M, SMS), 2000's up until now

Features of Moral Panic

• Concern: Behaviour of a particular group represented.
• Volatility: Short-lived.  Panics erupt dramatically but are difficult to sustain.  It has negative consequences.
• Hostility: "Folk Devils" constructed to create a clear division between "them" and "us".
• Consensus: Widespread acceptance of the threat posed by this group.
• Disproportionally: Wild exaggeration of evidence.  Not only the number of people involved but also the scale of the problem.