NCJ Number
176605
Date Published
1997
Length
133 pages
Annotation
This book identifies and assesses the consequences of a "moral panic" in Canadian society regarding the criminal threat of juveniles, a panic fueled by the media and confirmed in the rhetoric and policies of politicians.
Abstract
The author argues that Canadian society is on the verge of an acute "moral panic" that, if allowed to continue, will result in the indictment of all adolescents, especially those who are marginalized and disadvantaged. The end result will be the continuing scapegoating of youth for political purposes and the alienation of a more uncompromising and disaffiliated youth population. A prevalent punitive strategy toward juveniles increases the likelihood of violent behavior and alienation among youth. Instead of viewing children as the most valuable resource in Canadian society, they are being viewed as the most dangerous threat. This disintegrating faith in children in Canadian society is the focus of this book. The author explains the nature and extent of the moral panic by discussing the role of the media and its affiliations with information/political systems, with its readers and viewers, and with corporate Canada. The current political pastime of "blaming children" for all social evils is placed in the context of changing national and local agendas. The author contends that public panics are predictable, in that they have little to do with a criminogenic reality and much to do with the economic and political context in which they arise. Furthermore, crime panics typically target vulnerable and marginal people. They nourish the ideology that supports a society stratified on the bases of race, class, and gender. A 105-item bibliography