4.2. The Myth of Moral Panics 
ALISON S. BURKE 
Moral panic has been defined as a situation in which public fears and state interventions greatly exceed the 
objective threat posed to society by a particular individual or group who is/are claimed to be responsible for 
creating the threat in the first place. 
1 
Moral panics arise when distorted mass media campaigns create fear and reinforce previously held or 
stereotyped beliefs, frequently centered around ethnicity, religion, or social class. Often, moral panics occur 
swiftly, focusing attention on the behavior and then fluctuating concern over time. The most problematic 
aspect of the moral panic is that the hysteria often results in a need to “do something” about the issue and 
most commonly “results in the passing of legislation that is highly punitive, unnecessary, and serves to justify 
the agendas of those in positions of power and authority.” Moral panics focus attention on what we should 
fear and who we should blame for that fear. Instigators of moral panics frequently misinterpret data for their 
own agenda. Cohen (1972)  said at least five sets of social actors are involved in a moral panic. These include 
1) folk devils, 2) rule or law enforcers, 3) the media, 4) politicians, and 5) the public. 
2 
Moral Panics, Sex Offender Registration, and Youth 
In her article, “There Are Too Many Kids on the Sex Offender Registry,” Lenore Skensazy discusses the 
unpopular view that perhaps sex offender registration is more harmful than helpful. 
The purpose of sex offender registries is to prevent one of the worst of the worst crimes: sexual assault. 
However, Roger Lancaster, author of “Sex Panic and the Punitive State” suggests that “Only a tiny fraction 
of sex crimes against children are committed by people who are on the registry.” About 5 percent of people 
on the list go on to commit another crime, a far lower recidivism rate than almost any other class of 
criminals, including drug dealers, arsonists, and muggers (Skenazy, 2018, para 4). 
1. Bon, S.A (2015, July 20). Moral Panic: Who benefits from fear? Psychology Today,  https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/wicked-
deeds/201507/moral-panic-who-benefits-public-fear 
2. Cohen, S. (1972). Folk devils and moral panics: The creation of the mods and rockers. London: MacGibbon and Key Ltd. 
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