Moral_Panics

To what extent is Moral Panic Theory (Cohen: 1972) the best way to explain Britains recent ‘gang violence’ problems' How else might you account for these problems' This essay aims to examine Cohens Moral Panic Theory in relation to the recent gang violence observed in the UK. Whilst there is a vast amount of literature which supports Cohens claims that ‘folk devils’ only emerge in times of widespread ‘Moral Panic’, others have neglected to examine whether groups or individuals can be labelled as folk devils when moral panics aren’t taking place. Using a number of sources (journals and articles pertaining to the area in question), I will aim to examine whether Cohens theory can best be used to explain Britains recent gang violence problems, and also additional reason that may account for these problems. ‘Pub shooting may be gang related’, ‘Door-step killing said to be gang related’ and ‘Gang of children tortured boy and left him for dead’ are just some of the kinds of headlines that can be seen on a daily basis within UK newspapers. But are these terms an accurate representation of the incidents that seem to occur almost daily in the UK, or are newspapers exaggerating their reports, and consequently instilling a sense of panic into the general public' These questions have yet to be concretely answered, with few scholars taking an interest in whether the way gang culture is portrayed in the media leads to a manipulation of the general public into fearing certain groups when, in reality, many of us are largely ignorant as to the contexts in which these ‘folk devils ‘ appear. Although several studies have documented reasons for gang membership (Miller, B. 1958- Reasons including increased street-wiseness and autonomy from conventional authority, and more recently ____, which established causes relating to poverty and peer pressure), there has been little focus on how the media portrays gangs. In Cohen’s own words, a moral panic is defined as a an instance when a ‘condition, episode, person or group emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests’. Additionally, Cohen argues that exaggeration is a key element when discussing moral panics, and explains that the media elevate levels of deviance, by taking facts about the seriousness of an event, and presenting them as more serious than they really are. Cohen treats ‘folk devils’ as being the result of a society in the midst of a ‘moral panic’, however, whether or not a society can label individuals or groups as folk devils when they are not in this frenzied state is not discussed. Although Cohens theory could potentially shed some light on recent gang violence problems, there are certain other factors which should be considered, but which he has not discussed, such as poverty (a lack of education , money, family links and others), which may lead individuals to seek other ways of both earning a living, and seeking alternative means of belonging. Although traditionally gangs were largely seen as a third world problem, where they gained most control in underdeveloped and poverty stricken areas, more recently, this has extended to underdeveloped areas in western countries such as England and America . The instability of social institutions such as schools and family can certainly be seen to correlate with the forming and joining of gangs, which in many cases leads to violence. These factors should be considered when examining this area , however, they are concepts which Cohen fails to delve into. Additionally, gang membership could be partly attributed to ethnic solidarity in a community. Numerous Black and Hispanic gangs formed during the 1960s in United States, in the name of identity, and in response to this , rival gangs appeared , creating tension, leading to violence. Conclusively, it appears that Cohen’s theory does well to explain the rise gang violence, however his ideas should be taken alongside other factors. Moral Panic was a phrase developed by university professor Stanley Cohen in his 1972 book ‘Folk devils and Moral panics’ , which sought to describe and explain the rise of gang culture, and how the mass media affects public perception of these events.