NCJ Number
138058
Date Published
1992
Length
275 pages
Annotation
This book examines the intense concern in Great Britain during the 1980's over a closely related set of perceived problems including child sexual abuse, child pornography, satanic cults, and serial murder. During this decade, the attention paid to these phenomena was unique because of the sheer scale of media coverage and the extent to which these offenses were believed to represent a real threat to ordinary families. As a result, legislators and law enforcement agencies advocated draconian measures that nullified traditional concepts of due process justice.
Abstract
Following the introductory chapter, the second chapter discusses changes in British society during the past 20 years, focusing on their effects on the traditional family. The politics of morality in contemporary Britain are explored, as is the role of party politics in creating these moral panics. During this period, feminists were largely successful in typifying rape and serial murder as elements in a general threat of sexual violence. The media focus on serial murders and rapes led to a public perception that pedophilia is a criminal threat, rather than a medical problem, and gave rise to the notion of organized pedophilia conspiracies. Subsequent chapters discuss the changing ideas of child abuse from the 1960's and the shift toward an emphasis on sexual rather than physical abuse, and the panic over ritual abuse and satanic child sex rings. The book explores the different interest groups active in this period and the means by which they presented their ideas to the public. The final chapter compares British and American moral attitudes and discusses the influence of American moral entrepreneurs and interest groups.