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Raymond.J.Sloan
Moral panic is used to describe the effects of a group of people in society who have a different beliefs or ideologies that could be considered a threat to the rest of society.
The reason this is in a cycle is due to the fact that the more a crime is committed, the more is reported on news, the more moral panic is created and thus the government imposes more laws to identify crimes.
Mortal Kombat created such a moral panic due to its extreme violence that it led to the creation of the ESRB (Entertainment System Rating Board). This would be part of the cycle where the government added more laws to limit the games use by children.
Identification of a Problem
“In British cities, especially London, a street by street war is being fought.”
(Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-20451521 Date accessed: 06/11/2013)
This connotes that the media have identified that their is an increasing crime concern on British streets.
Identification of Subversive Minority
The folk devils have been identified as groups of young people wearing hoodies.
(Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15238377 Date accessed: 06/11/2013)
Simplification of Cause
"The culture accompanying these groups is transatlantic. The clothing and music, the attitude to life and the words that are used come from America.“
“In the US there are 28,100 gangs and 731,000 gang members, according to the latest reports from the National Gang Center”
(Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15238377 Date accessed: 06/11/2013)
This has simplified the cause of the violence and gangs to trends that have come from America in the terms of music, clothes and language that have crossed to the UK. The BBC even gave the statistics of the American gangs, implying that the large presence of gangs their may have influenced the culture here in the UK
Stigmatization of those Involved
“Turf wars among London’s 250 gangs account for half of all shootings and a fifth of stabbings and have fuelled this epidemic of violence.”
The “Epidemic of Violence” part has been used to emotively charge the audience and label the gangs as a spreading disease, causing damage to their surroundings.
Stirring of Public Indignation
“Plan B says the government is not doing enough to tackle gang culture and thinks there could be more riots.”
(Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/20244402 Date accessed: 07/11/2013)
Famous people have used media, BBC Radio in this case, to voice their opinion against the government. This raises awareness at the apparent lack of government enforcement.
Stamping down hard
“Introduced new offences of threatening with a knife in a public place or school, which will help improve prosecution rates”
“Dedicated £1.2 million to fund 13 support workers for girls vulnerable to, or suffering from, gang-related sexual violence”
“Made gang injunctions for under 18-year-olds available to the police and local authorities”
“Introduced changes to firearms legislation in the new Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill currently going through Parliament. We are creating an offence of possessing illegal firearms for sale or transfer, with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, and increasing the maximum penalty for manufacture, importation and exportation of illegal firearms”
(Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/reducing-knife-gun-and-gang-crime Date accessed: 06/11/2013)
This connotes that the government have set up new rules and put funding in place to not only help victims of gangs put in tougher punishments as a deterrent.
