Which sociologist argued that media reporting of crime causes moral panics?

Stanley Cohen (1972) argued that media reporting of crime causes moral panics.

A moral panic involves exaggerating the extent and significance of a social problem.

A folk devil is a group portrayed stereotypically as a threat to the values of society .

Give two examples of groups that have been portrayed as folk devils.

Groups portrayed as folk devils include migrants , refugees , single mothers , benefit cheats and youth offenders .

A scapegoat is a group that is blamed for society's problems , as folk devils often are.

Which two youth subcultures did Stanley Cohen study?

Stanley Cohen studied the mods and rockers , focusing on events in Clacton in 1964.

How did the media exaggerate the mods and rockers events?

The media exaggerated the number of young people involved, the amount of violence and the damage caused .

Define deviancy amplification .

Deviancy amplification is where the media sensationalise and distort events, creating a false image of a group and its behaviour.

True or False? Stanley Cohen argued that media coverage reduced deviant behaviour among the mods and rockers.

False. The coverage encouraged other young people to behave in the way the media portrayed, causing more deviance.

After the media coverage of the mods and rockers, the police acted harshly due to the public outcry, leading to further .

After the media coverage of the mods and rockers, the police acted harshly due to the public outcry, leading to further arrests .

Give a more recent example of deviancy amplification.

A more recent example of deviancy amplification is the London riots in 2011 , when more people joined in to have their five minutes of fame.

Define agenda setting .

Agenda setting is where the media decide the focus of public debates by covering some stories and excluding others.

News values are the criteria that media gatekeepers use to decide whether an event is newsworthy.

Give two features that make a crime story newsworthy.

A crime story is more newsworthy if it involves children , violence , celebrities or graphic images .

True or False? Violent crime is under-represented in news reports.

False. Violent crime is over-represented , so people think it occurs more often than it does.

How can media reporting of crime have positive effects?

Media reporting can increase awareness , leading to interventions such as knife amnesties and appeals for witnesses.

Why is teenage antisocial behaviour seen as a social problem?

Teenage antisocial behaviour is seen as a social problem because it causes fear , harms community life and is costly , for example through vandalism and graffiti.

Antisocial behaviour orders have been counterproductive, as some young people see them as a status .

Antisocial behaviour orders have been counterproductive, as some young people see them as a status symbol .

Which group is described as society's main folk devil?

Young offenders are society's main folk devil and become scapegoats for society's problems.

Name two types of sentence that can be given to offenders.

Sentences include a discharge , a fine , a community sentence and a prison sentence .

What might a community sentence involve?

A community sentence may involve avoiding an area , wearing a tag , a curfew and community service .

Give one public concern about sentencing policy.

One public concern about sentencing policy is that it is unclear why some prisoners are released early , and some sentences are seen as not tough enough .

According to functionalists, what is the role of prisons?

Prisons enforce society's dominant norms and values by publicly punishing deviants, and they act as a deterrent .

Give two major issues currently facing prisons.

Prisons face overcrowding , cuts in staff numbers , high levels of self-harm and a high reoffending rate .

True or False? There are few concerns about how young offenders are treated in custody.

False. There are concerns about deaths in custody and levels of suicide, self-harm and violence in young offender institutions.

GCSESociologyAQAFlashcardsCrime & DevianceThe Media & Public Debates Over Crime

The Media & Public Debates Over Crime (AQA GCSE Sociology): Flashcards

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FrontMedia Reporting of Crime: Moral Panics
Which sociologist argued that media reporting of crime causes moral panics?

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Cards in this collection (25)

Which sociologist argued that media reporting of crime causes moral panics?
Stanley Cohen (1972) argued that media reporting of crime causes moral panics.
Define moral panic.
A moral panic involves exaggerating the extent and significance of a social problem.
Define folk devil.
A folk devil is a group portrayed stereotypically as a threat to the values of society.
Give two examples of groups that have been portrayed as folk devils.
Groups portrayed as folk devils include migrants, refugees, single mothers, benefit cheats and youth offenders.
Define scapegoat.
A scapegoat is a group that is blamed for society's problems, as folk devils often are.
Which two youth subcultures did Stanley Cohen study?
Stanley Cohen studied the mods and rockers, focusing on events in Clacton in 1964.
How did the media exaggerate the mods and rockers events?
The media exaggerated the number of young people involved, the amount of violence and the damage caused.
Define deviancy amplification.
Deviancy amplification is where the media sensationalise and distort events, creating a false image of a group and its behaviour.
True or False?
Stanley Cohen argued that media coverage reduced deviant behaviour among the mods and rockers.
False.
The coverage encouraged other young people to behave in the way the media portrayed, causing more deviance.
After the media coverage of the mods and rockers, the police acted harshly due to the public outcry, leading to further .
After the media coverage of the mods and rockers, the police acted harshly due to the public outcry, leading to further arrests.
Give a more recent example of deviancy amplification.
A more recent example of deviancy amplification is the London riots in 2011, when more people joined in to have their five minutes of fame.
Define agenda setting.
Agenda setting is where the media decide the focus of public debates by covering some stories and excluding others.
Define news values.
News values are the criteria that media gatekeepers use to decide whether an event is newsworthy.
Give two features that make a crime story newsworthy.
A crime story is more newsworthy if it involves children, violence, celebrities or graphic images.
True or False?
Violent crime is under-represented in news reports.
False.
Violent crime is over-represented, so people think it occurs more often than it does.
How can media reporting of crime have positive effects?
Media reporting can increase awareness, leading to interventions such as knife amnesties and appeals for witnesses.
Why is teenage antisocial behaviour seen as a social problem?
Teenage antisocial behaviour is seen as a social problem because it causes fear, harms community life and is costly, for example through vandalism and graffiti.
Antisocial behaviour orders have been counterproductive, as some young people see them as a status .
Antisocial behaviour orders have been counterproductive, as some young people see them as a status symbol.
Which group is described as society's main folk devil?
Young offenders are society's main folk devil and become scapegoats for society's problems.
Name two types of sentence that can be given to offenders.
Sentences include a discharge, a fine, a community sentence and a prison sentence.
What might a community sentence involve?
A community sentence may involve avoiding an area, wearing a tag, a curfew and community service.
Give one public concern about sentencing policy.
One public concern about sentencing policy is that it is unclear why some prisoners are released early, and some sentences are seen as not tough enough.
According to functionalists, what is the role of prisons?
Prisons enforce society's dominant norms and values by publicly punishing deviants, and they act as a deterrent.
Give two major issues currently facing prisons.
Prisons face overcrowding, cuts in staff numbers, high levels of self-harm and a high reoffending rate.
True or False?
There are few concerns about how young offenders are treated in custody.
False.
There are concerns about deaths in custody and levels of suicide, self-harm and violence in young offender institutions.

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