The UK is in the midst of a moral panic, created by the Jimmy Savile revelations, according to a leading social work expert. Edinburgh academic Vivian Cree says that the reactions of the public and media, and the political outrage that follows can have potentially damaging consequences for those implicated, and for society as a whole. Such episodes can draw attention away from wider social issues such as the neglect and abuse of children in families, and result in the demonisation of certain groups and the creation of disproportionate, punitive legislation. A series of events this week will draw links between the reaction to the Savile events (which has included the false allegations and Prime Minister David Cameron being handed a list of alleged paedophiles on This Morning) to previous societal over-reactions that focused on clashes between Mods and Rockers, Satanic abuse in Orkney and video nasties. Experts will discuss how particular social anxieties, stoked by the media with the cooperation of moral guardians such as politicians, clergy or social workers, combine to create a moral panic. The seminar series, Revisiting Moral Panics: A Critical Examination of 21st Century Social Issues and Anxieties, is organised by the University of Edinburgh and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. Each seminar will tackle different sources of outrage. The first deals with the family; further events explore moral panics involving children, and finally the state. The series begins on Friday 23 November. We are in the middle of a storm at the moment, one that appears every now and again, and always with the same negative consequences, for individuals and for society. This isn’t to suggest that bad things don’t happen - that people aren’t hurt and children aren’t abused. We acknowledge that abuse and neglect happen all the time, and it is right that we do something to protect those who are vulnerable. But we also need to find a balance in our response to this, otherwise we’ll be left with the wider negative effects of a moral panic, with individuals being wrongly accused, organisations - like the BBC - being lambasted and politicians calling for legislation that may have the consequence of harming the very people it seeks to protect. Professor Viviane Cree Head of Social Work at the University of Edinburgh, and organiser of the series Publication date 15 Oct, 2015
