Pushing the Panic Button: Societal Influences on the Criminal Justice System

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract

Throughout history, criminal justice policy has been implemented to ensure public safety as well as to combat crime. The public demands stringent policy to fight the war on drugs, the war on immigration, the war on sex offenders, and the war on domestic violence. While the policies in place appear to promote the well-being of society, the question becomes whether these policies are simply band-aids, trying to decrease crime without addressing the root problems that exist within these areas. The moral panics that arise from extreme incidents in the media continue to dominate and the insistent push for criminal justice policy development becomes clear. This thematic panel will discuss various policies, the moral panics leading to these policies, and the implications stemming from these policies in place.

Sub Unit

• Area VII: Criminal Justice Policy and Practice / 40: Crime Prevention

Individual Presentations

• Sex Offender Legislation and Public Perception: Cause for Concern or Simply a Media Diffusion of Moral Panic? - Stacie Merken, Texas Christian University

• The Heroin Hype: Serious Issue or Moral Panic? - Shavonne Arthurs, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

• Kate's Law: A Study of How Tragedy Can Affect Legislation - Jennifer Boyer, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

• Domestic Violence: A Serious Crime Problem or a Media-Induced Moral Panic? - Samantha M. Gavin, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Chair

• Stacie Merken, Texas Christian University