on the public perception of crime
UNIT 1: changing the awareness of crime
AC 1.5: Explain the impact of media representations on the public
perception of crime.
Example for preview page:
Moral panic - Moral panic is when a person, group, or thing becomes a
threat to the moral standards of society. When people become panicked
it is because of the over-reporting and sensationalization of crime
through Newspapers, radios etc. The severity of crime is exaggerated
hence making people worry.
This has a negative impact on the public perception of crime because
the scale of crime will appear much higher causing unnecessary panic.
This panic will lead to a demand for more policing and more measures
to control behaviour which is not needed. An example of this would be
Mobs VS Rockers in 1964. This is when two large groups of teenagers
caused mayhem in the streets of some cities in England. Although there
were petty fights and threats involved, the media made the teenagers
look much worse. This is moral panic as teenagers are made out to be
dangerous and a threat to society by the media which causes society to
panic.