MORAL PANIC

KIDULTHOOD

WHAT IS MORAL PANIC?

Theorist Stanley Cohen suggested in his book Folk Devils and Moral Panics, 1972, that a moral panic occurs when a “condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests.“

The media, according to Stanley Cohen, play a massive role in enforcing moral panic – even if it just simply reporting the news.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

According to Cohen, the media overreact to an aspect of behaviour which may be seen as a challenge to existing social norms. However, the media response and representation of that behaviour actually helps to define it, communicate it and portrays it as a model for outsiders to observe and adopt.

So the moral panic by society represented in the media fuels further socially unacceptable behaviour.

EXAMPLES OF MORAL PANICS

A moral panic sends society in to mass hysteria over a particular issue or event that occurs. The public believe that whatever is reported upon is occurring everywhere.

List events or issues that you believe to be moral panics in Britain.

KIDULTHOOD – MORAL PANIC

Kidulthood portrays young people as deviants. They are irresponsible, lead hedonistic lifestyles and appear to have no concept of the consequences of their actions.

List the things you have seen or heard in Kidulthood that could cause moral panic within our society.