Deviance Amplification Spiral

Question 1

What is the deviance amplification spiral?

Answer 1

A process where the attempt to control deviance leads to an increase in deviance

Question 2

What is an example of this term?

Answer 2

Cohen’s Folk Devils and Moral panics study

Question 3

What is Cohen’s Folk Devils and Moral panics study?

Answer 3

A study of the societal reaction to the ‘mods and rockers’ disturbances

Question 4

Where were the mods and rockers?

Answer 4

A group of youths at English seaside resorts

Question 5

What began a moral panic?

Answer 5

Press exaggeration and distorted reporting of events

Question 6

What was the result of a moral panic?

Answer 6

It grew public concern
Moral entrepreneurs called for a ‘crackdown’

Question 7

What was the response to moral entrepreneurs?

Answer 7

Police arrested more youths, courts imposed harsher penalties

Question 8

What caused the ‘mods and rockers’ further marginalisation?

Answer 8

Demonising them as ‘folk devils’

Question 9

Overall what does this show?

Answer 9

Societal reaction leads to further deviance as it increases police’s arrests

Question 10

What is the dark figure of crime?

Answer 10

Unlabelled, unrecorded crime ignored by public and police

Question 11

What are folk devil crimes?

Answer 11

Over labelling and overexposed actions to public and attention of authorities

Question 12

Why is the folk devil consequential?

Answer 12

The pursuit of ‘fd’ leads away from detecting and punishing the dark figure crimes