The Myth of Moral Panics · Sex, Snuff, and Satan by Thompson, Bill, Williams, Andy -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents Preface: The Dark Side Acknowledgments Introduction: Moral Panic for Dummies

Descriptions and Definitions Panics for Dummies ‘New, Improved’ Moral Panic The Politics of Panic Spot the Difference Label Slapping “Whatever” Constructing Social Problems Constructing Moral Panics In Whose Interest? Don’t Go There

The Powerful Press Stigma

Who’s Panicking?

Common Values and Structural Strain The Usual Suspects Moral Enterprise, Interested Agencies, and Social Group Conflict Teen Trouble and Physical Threats Disproportionate Threats and Statistics Visibility Deviance Amplification Panics, Politics, and the Public

The Myth of Moral Panic

Part I: The Making of a Myth

1. Constructing Moral Panic

Introduction Phase One: The Inventory Reaction: Phase One Reaction: Phase Two

Delineating Moral Panic

The Context and Background The Real Thing

2. Sozzled Students, Drunken Debutantes and the Hidden History of Mods and Rockers

Borin’ Clacton The Pre-Clacton Inventory A Well-Worn Inventory No New Orientation Ace Rewriting Reactions

Pre-sensitization Proxy Evidence Pseudo-Psychological Explanations The Boundary Crisis Moral Enterprise Averting Disaster What the Public Really Thought

False Alarm–Reaction Phase Two Amplifying the Panic Where’s the Deviance? Their Own Form of Excitement Moral Enterprise Pyramids of Power Today in Parliament Clacton, Christians, and Causality A Mere Technicality Putting the Record Straight Wider Cultures and Exploitative Contexts From Kansas to Clacton Theoretical Reality

3. Mugging Reality

A Mugging Gone Wrong Handsworth Common Values The Politics of the Moral Panic The Moment of Mugging The Strong State Revolutionary Mugging Class War and Common Sense A Mugging Theory Gone Wrong The Disappearing Symbol Law and Disorder Making His Mark Rational Fear and Street Crime Can you Read that Again? That Was the Belief That Was Sociological Bandits Disappearing Panics Mugging Race Progressive Panic The Weak State American Theory and British Malpractice Theoretical Panic

Part II: Progressive Panic

4. Witch Hunts and Moral Enterprise

Class, Motives, and Moral Enterprise Religion and Progressivism Symbolic Politics Religious Politics Britain’s Moral Minority Enter Right: Exit Left Spiritual Warfare and Pluralism The False Prophet The End Time Witch Hunts and Moral Panic Boundary Crises or Moral Panic? Ministers 0–Deviants 2 Salem Myths Reality Check So Much for Theory

5. A Very Nasty Business

Permissiveness Portsmouth The Missing Porn Store Panic Plastic Panics Heaven’s Light Our Guide

Depravity

Dear Council The Sex Store Act Thatcher’s Sodom Hustlers for the Lord Before the Mail Arrived Where’s the Panic? Symbolic Crusaders TV, Page 3, and the Churchill Bill Off the Shelf Snuff ‘N’ Stuff Academic Nasties

6. Who Needs Satan?

Satanic Panic Orkney Satanic Day Care Satanism and Strain Blame

The Unholy Alliance

Atrocity Tales and Strain Blame Taming Strain Blame Secular Satanism

The Road to Hell

Cleveland British Brimstone After Dark Chasing Satan The W Family Disclosure Therapy Mutant Ninja Turtle Abuse Professional Abuse MPD Satanic Abuse Believe the Children False Convictions Thatcherism and the Panic Paradigm Who Needs Satan? Here We Go Again

Part III: The New Politics of Panic

7. Streets of Fire

Scum One Road in Welcome to Paulsgrove Random Threats Naming and Shaming Get the Vigilantes The Bigger the Lie Clacton II Exaggeration and Distortion Prediction Images and Symbolization Deviance Amplification Orientation and Sensitization Causation The Public Reaction Riot by Rhetoric The Long Slow Fuse Fear and Fringe Violence Riot! What Riot? Rough Music The List Residents Against Pedophiles Vigilantes or Vigilance Naming and Shaming

Conclusion: Carry on Panicking

Behind the Horror Headlines A Problem with Politics Revisionism Panic in the Paradigm The State of the Paradigm Happy Anniversary Risky Fears Fear Theory Right Answer: Wrong Reasons Therapeutic Politics Who’s Oppressing Whom? Incorrect Politics Déjà Vu The New Authoritarians Running Down the Dream The Myth of Moral Panic Academic Strain

Notes References Index