Youth moral panic in Malta : a case study

Abstract

Moral panic and youth are connected and have been so for a long time. The former is when an episode, condition or someone is perceived as a threat to the interests or values of society by the media (Cohen 1972/2011). Those posing such a threat are labelled as ‘deviants’ or what Cohen (1972/2011) terms ‘folk devils’. The latter are “a category of people who, presumably, engage in evil practices and are responsible for menacing the physical safety or the culture or way of life of society or sectors of society” (Goode, 2017, pp. 1-3). This study is an attempt to see if the heavily reported local accident that occurred at a popular nightclub (1+ club) in Saint Julian’s, in 2015, is a case of moral panic. Based on content analysis of print and online news media, the study explores the representations and responses towards youth during this exaggerated and volatile incident, and if the media’s representation of this event may be classified as a manifestation of moral entrepreneurship. Findings demonstrate that the joint reactions by the media, policymakers, authorities, politicians and the public created distorted representations of youth and young Paceville clubbers. The latter were depicted as children, incontrollable deviants and copycats of adult behaviour. These depictions elicited an outpouring of concern and reflected a dominant value system perceived to be under threat. This episode also demonstrated that youth club culture is vulnerable to moral panic, with clubbers emerging as ‘folk devils’ (Cohen 1972/2011). The study concludes with a series of practice and policy recommendations, theoretical observations, and recommendations for future research. The limitations of the study were also explored.