Introduction to Criminology Unit 1

Media Representations and Moral Panic

Think about the last shocking crime story you saw on social media - chances are it made the problem seem way worse than it actually was. This is exactly what moral panic does to our society.

Stanley Cohen explained moral panic as society's completely over-the-top reaction to a problem that's been blown out of proportion. It starts when the media picks a group of people to be the folk devil - basically the villains threatening our way of life. They then use sensationalised reporting to make the issue seem massive.

The classic example is the mods and rockers clashes in the 1960s. When these two youth groups had some minor scuffles at the seaside, newspapers went mental with headlines like "Wild ones invade seaside 97 arrests" - when there were actually only 24 arrests! The media used three key tactics: exaggerating numbers, predicting more violence would happen, and turning their clothes and bikes into negative symbols.

Quick Fact: Moral panics create a deviance amplification spiral - when attempts to control crime actually create more crime. It's like trying to put out a fire with petrol!

Changing Public Attitudes and Crime Concerns

Here's something mental - whilst everyone thinks crime is getting worse, it's actually been decreasing for years. The Crime Survey for England and Wales showed crime fell by 7% in 2017, yet most people still believe it's rising.

This happens because when the media bombard us with crime stories, we develop a completely false sense of how dangerous things really are. Recent terrorist attacks in London, Manchester, and Barcelona have made Islamophobia a major concern, leading to innocent Muslims facing attacks simply because of their religion.

The government responds to these media-fuelled fears by changing priorities. After the Manchester attack, they raised the threat level from severe to critical. Similarly, concerns about knife crime led to knife amnesties - schemes letting people surrender illegal weapons without prosecution.

Reality Check: The Good Childhood Report found that 2 in 5 UK teenagers worry about crime in their area, affecting millions of children's wellbeing and happiness.

Stereotyping and Typifications

Media representations create powerful stereotypes about who commits crimes. In the UK, older generations often see young people as "hoodies and thugs," whilst in the US, many people automatically picture criminals as young black men.

Aaron Cicourel discovered that police, judges, and other criminal justice professionals have typifications - mental pictures of typical criminals. They see the usual suspect as a young, lower-class male, often unemployed, from a rough area, with a bad attitude and poor educational record.

This creates a self-fulfilling prophecy where people start acting out the negative labels society gives them. If you're constantly treated like a criminal, you might eventually become one.

The 2011 London riots showed how media coverage affects punishment. After Mark Duggan's death sparked protests and rioting, the media's sensationalised coverage helped create an atmosphere where rioters received ridiculously harsh sentences - often completely out of proportion to their actual crimes.

Think About It: Typifications don't just affect who gets arrested - they influence who gets stopped, searched, and how severely they're punished by the courts.

Changing Priorities and New Laws

When the media won't shut up about a particular type of crime, it can literally change the law. Politicians respond to media pressure and public outcry by rushing through new legislation - sometimes without properly thinking it through.

The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 is a perfect example of media-driven law-making. Tabloid newspapers went crazy reporting on dog attacks, using emotive language and constant coverage to create the impression that dangerous dogs were everywhere, threatening every child.

This moral panic was so intense that Parliament rushed through emergency legislation in August 1991, banning certain dog breeds entirely. The media had successfully turned isolated incidents into a national crisis that demanded immediate government action.

The pattern is always the same: sensationalised reporting, public fear, political pressure, and hasty new laws. Whether it's terrorism, knife crime, or dangerous dogs, the media's power to set the agenda and force policy changes is absolutely massive.

Key Point: Media coverage doesn't just inform us about crime - it actively shapes police priorities, government policies, and even creates entirely new laws.