Moral Panics over Contemporary Children and Youth

The concept of moral panic has received considerable scholarly attention but as yet little attention has been accorded to panics over children and youth. This is the first book to examine this important and controversial social issue by employing a rigorous intellectual framework to explore the cultural construction of youth through the dissemination of moral panics. It is accessible in manner and makes use of the latest contemporary research by addressing some of the pressing recent concerns relating to children and youth including cyber-related panics child abuse and pornography education and crime. A truly international collection this volume features new global research focusing on the United Kingdom Australia Canada South Africa and France as well as the United States. Genuinely multidisciplinary in approach it will appeal to researchers and students across the social sciences and humanities - from sociology and social theory to media education anthropology criminology geography and history.