Moral panic

A disproportionate public reaction to a perceived threat to social values or social order, often amplified by media and public authorities.

Folk devil: A person or group portrayed as embodying a threat to society’s values or safety. Moral panics often focus blame on a folk devil, turning a complex concern into a visible antagonist.
Stanley Cohen: A British sociologist whose research examined youth subcultures, media, and social reaction. Cohen developed the influential account of moral panic through his study of the Mods and Rockers.
Satanic panic: A late twentieth-century wave of allegations that organized Satanic groups abused children in secret. It illustrates how sensational claims and institutional responses can outlast evidence supporting them.
Risk society: A theory that modern societies organize around anticipating and managing risks produced by modernization. Risk society concerns institutional management of hazards, not necessarily disproportionate moral alarm.
Labeling theory: A sociological approach studying how social labels shape identities and responses to deviance. Publicly naming a group as dangerous can shape how its members are treated and how they act.
Deviance amplification: A process in which reactions to perceived deviance intensify the behavior or concern they target. Public condemnation can magnify the conduct presented as the original threat.
Folk Devils and Moral Panics: Stanley Cohen’s 1972 book analyzing public reaction to the Mods and Rockers in Britain. The book introduced the concept’s classic formulation and its sequence of public reaction.
Video game controversy: Public disputes over whether video games cause violence, addiction, or social harm. Recurring fears about games show how new media can become targets of moral concern.
Social problem: A condition or pattern that a society recognizes as harmful and in need of collective action. A moral panic is a particular kind of reaction to a perceived social problem.
Criminalization: The process of making an action or status subject to criminal penalties. Moral alarm can encourage new offenses, harsher penalties, or expanded policing.

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