Explain and Discuss Moral Panics.

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Explain and Discuss Moral Panics

Moral panics have been described as a condition, episode, person or group of persons which emerge to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests (Cohen, 1972, p.9). They often occur during times when society has been unable to adapt to significant change and when such change leads to a fear of a loss of control within the normal social structure. This was evident during the 1960s when society experienced such modernising trends as the so called 'sexual revolution'. When events, such as those found in the 1960's, occur there is a concern that moral standards are in decline and entire generations can sometimes be accused of undermining society's moral structure.

Moral panics can occur both as novel events, or events which have been in existence within society for a long time and have suddenly become an issue of importance and concern. Many panics result in official change and have serious and long-lasting repercussions, as was the case following the panic concerning so called 'video nasties', which led to the Video Recording Act of 1984 introducing the regulation of videos via the British Board of Film Classification. The debates concerning the issue centred upon the lack of parental control in monitoring children's viewing and the dangers posed by certain programmes and films to young people (Lusted, 1991, p.14). The concern of 'video nasties' reappeared in the 1990's following the murder of the toddler James Bulger by two juveniles. The case was related to the violent film 'Child's Play 3', which the offenders had previously watched. The case and the implications made against the film resulted in further regulations being enacted in 1994.

The example of such 'video nasties' illustrates a further characteristic of moral panics, highlighting the fact that they are often based on insubstantial evidence. As Lusted points out there is 'considerable difficulty in establishing causal connections between television violence and violent behaviour' (Lusted, 1991, p.14). The issue of television violence reflects the broader concerns of the nature of society and its apparent collapse. The underlying causes of many moral panics have little, if anything, to do with the subject or event with which they focus their concern. As Furedi argues, children have in the past killed other children, yet the death of James Bulger provoked a reaction previously never seen before by the British public. Despite the fact that such killings remain extremely rare the story, largely due to its portrayal by the media, led to the view that all children were now at risk from one another, and that access to certain films could produce child murderers (Furedi, 1994, p.3). The dangers posed by moral panics are continuously exaggerated and distorted by the media with the result that public concern is heightened. They often present reasons and scapegoats for the occurrence of certain events in order to divert attention from more real and greater problems found within society.

However, moral panics are not a new phenomenon and the actions of certain segments of society, most notably youths, have often been seen as immoral and threatening to the accepted norms and patterns found within our culture. During the 1950s and 1960's there was widespread concern over the influence of rock 'n' roll music with fears that it led to promiscuity and anti-social behaviour. The 'drug culture' of the 1960s led to far-reaching anxiety, and it was widely believed that an entire generation would become 'crazed' addicts. The issue of drugs and music in the 1960s led to the persecution of many pop stars who were perceived as having a highly corrupting influence upon the youth of the day and, as will be discussed later in the essay, this aspect of moral panics can be related to the present day issue of the use of 'ecstasy'. In the 1970s the image of the black mugger became a target of those wishing to instil concern in the minds of the public, a panic which was to lead to a great deal of prejudice and racism at every level of society and a fear which, to a large extent, remains today.

Yet, as Furedi illustrates it would be wrong to view today's obsession with moral panics as simply being part of the historical pattern of such panics, and there are a number of differences between those found in society today and those found in the past (Furedi, 1994, p.2). In the 1990s such issues are not confined to isolated and distinct targets such as the black mugger, the drug addict or the promiscuous teenager but can cover a whole range of individuals, so essentially no one in society may feel completely safe from possible persecution as a result of a future panic.
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A recent moral panic has been concerned with bullying in schools, and the issue has been widely publicised by the media following a number of parents removing their children from schools as a result of bullying. The mass media would have us believe that the issue of bullying is of grave concern to the future well being of our society and that children are lacking in the moral values with which our culture is based upon. Whilst bullying is, without question an unpleasant and unnecessary occurrence, the recent publicity it has received has, taken what has in the ...

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