Name: What is moral panic? Why does moral panic lead to scapegoating?
Uploaded: 2026-02-01T23:07:15.000Z
Duration: 1 min
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Relative clauses (Restrictive vs. nonrestrictive)

Moral panic is a phenomenon that occurs when a society reacts intensely and disproportionately to a perceived threat to social order.

Moral panic typically involves media amplification, public anxiety, and increased social control responses.

The perceived threat is often represented by groups or individuals who are labeled as deviant and dangerous to societal values.

Such panics can lead to changes in laws or societal norms, often fueled by stereotyping, stigmatization, and misinformation.

Notable examples include the red scare of McCarthyism in the US the satanic panic in the 1980s.

It's important to critically evaluate these episodes to prevent unjust targeting and policy reactions.