Moral panic is a social phenomenon where a large group of people feel that a social norm or aspect of safety is threatened. It has existed before the term was coined by Stanley Cohen in the 1960s, and is often fueled by media coverage. Moral panic can lead to tragic consequences, such as attacks on particular groups or mass killings. Examples include the Salem witch trials, McCarthyism, and the Holocaust.
Moral panic is an interesting social phenomenon that can have tragic results. The term is used to describe a state of panic induced in a large group of people who feel that a social norm or an aspect that regulates people’s safety is seriously threatened. The term is the brainchild of sociologist Stanley Cohen, who examined how Rock and Roll mods and fans were perceived as a threat to society in the 1960s and early 1970s. Moral panic clearly existed before Cohen created the term. Virtually every style of dance introduced in the 20th century has created such a panic; even the waltz had been condemned much earlier as a sure way to sin because couples embraced.
Most new styles of music and fans of those styles have induced, at least on a small scale, moral panic. From ministers condemning the evils of rock and roll to significant news coverage of hippie culture and from the death of Kurt Cobain to the gothic movement, people can have a significant fear that a corruptible influence could wreak havoc on their children and their way of life. to live. These concerns are often inflated by excessive media coverage of certain events that would indicate that all children who have picked up a Nirvana album have committed suicide, or all children who wear black eyeshadow have decided to worship vampires.
Media coverage is often the key to producing moral panic, because certain stories are shot to death in the media. This is because the press will tend to latch onto anything of a bizarre nature as more interesting than standard crimes. For example, some cases of Satanism allegations in the 1970s and early 1980s created a significant moral panic. Many people really feared that Satan was worshiped in almost every city in the United States and that their children would “fall” into a satanic cult. While virtually every instance of satanic ritual has been largely dismissed after extensive investigation, this is still something that worries many and their fear grows out of an inflated view of danger.
Another example of moral panic was created by kids who played Dungeons & Dragons® in the early 1980’s. Again, although many of these games were significantly innocent and many D&D players are now excellent contributing members of society, it was thought that the reference to “demons” or monsters would corrupt the moral behavior of children. If anyone who ever played D&D committed a crime, the media would surely find out and report it, creating an inordinate fear that D&D was an incomparable evil and a sure sign that children would be corrupted if they played it.
There are several news hooks that have currently received so much coverage as to induce significant fear. A particular news outlet dedicates its time to catching sexual predators, at least once a week. Another example is the Nancy Grace Show on CNN, which appears to mostly feature the most horrific crimes against women and children that can be committed. While Grace isn’t making these stories up, covering up about her may heighten fears that these evils are constantly happening and that especially women and children are under constant threat of horrific murder or abuse.
Finally, because moral panic can be aimed at a particular group, it can lead to mobs attacking members of that group or mistakenly attacking people who are supposed to be members of the group. It has also led to mass killings of people that appear to threaten the very fabric of society. The Salem witch trials and mass executions, the Crusades, McCarthyism, pogroms and the Holocaust can all be called a moral panic.
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