CRIM 101 Lecture Notes - Moral Panic, The New York Times, School Violence

• School: Simon Fraser University
• Department: Criminology
• Course: CRIM 101
• Professor: Barry Cartwright

Document Summary

The term moral panic with stanley cohen"s 1972 book, folk devils and moral panics: the creation of the mods and rockers. Burns and crawford argue that fear and reaction to school shooting in late 1990s should be reevaluated. Number of deaths were relatively small; youth violence actually on the decline. October 1997- 16 year old killed mother, shot 9 students, killing 2. March 1998- two boys aged 11 and 13 killed four students and one teacher. April 1998- a student shot and killed a teacher, wounded two classmates. May 1998- a student killed two students, wounded 22 others. April 1999- columbine shootings; a teacher and 12 students were killed. Columbine shooting made front page of ny times three days running. Day time tc pre-empted to provide continuous coverage. President bill clinton took to airwaves to condemn entertainment industry for its role in glamorizing violence. Schools added security officers, metal detectors, introduced drop and cover drills.