ABSTRACT
Cohen (1972) defined a moral panic as an episode that emerges as a threat to the established social values, based on its intense presentation by the popular media over a generally short period of time. A moral panic currently exists in the United States concerning the rates of violent juvenile crime, including homicide. Debates over how to deal effectively with chronic and violent juvenile offenders have tended to focus more on the horrific nature of the criminal event than on the characteristics of the criminal actor. Indeed, many television and radio talk shows have had guests who have spoken out in favor of capital punishment for capital crimes, regardless of the age of the offender.
