folk devils and moral panics According to Cohen, certain groups periodically become the focus of moral panics. They are labelled as being outside the central core values of our consensual society and as posing a particular threat to them. The groups investigated by Cohen were the Mods and Rockers - today, New Age Travellers or those who attend raves could be seen as their modern equivalent. The 'central core values' which such groups transgress against are argued to be the norms and values which primarily serve the interests of the dominant classes. The media, in particular the press, whip up a moral panic which is coupled with calls for strengthening the forces of law and order. According to this view the Criminal Justice Bill 1994, with its legislation specifically targeting travellers and raves, is the response to the moral panic in the media.

See also:

Mugging

Scroungerphobia

deviance amplification

consensus

labelling

ideology

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