Introduction to Crime and Justice: Crime and Media

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, definitions, theoretical concepts, and statistical data regarding crime, media framing, moral panics, and fair trial rights from the lecture notes.

Media (Primary Source)

The primary indirect source of information from which people learn about crime, playing a central role in shaping public perceptions (with $92\%$ of Australian adults accessing news weekly in 2025).

Typification

Organised principles that are socially shared and persistent over time, which media use to frame particular groups and highlight selected aspects of crime stories.

Crime Wave

A phenomenon where heavy media reporting increases public awareness and concern about a specific type of crime, creating a perception of an increase even when offending rates are stable or falling.

Moral Panic

A term coined by Stanley Cohen (1972) following his study of 'Mods and Rockers,' defined as a period where a condition, episode, person, or group is defined as a threat to societal values and interests.

Concern

A key element of moral panic characterized by a heightened level of public concern over certain kinds of behavior.

Hostility

A key element of moral panic involving an increased level of hostility toward a group framed as an enemy or threat to society.

Consensus

A key element of moral panic defined by widespread agreement among a given group or society that a threat exists and requires action.

Disproportionality

A key element of moral panic where the level of public concern and fear significantly exceeds the actual level of harm posed by the behavior or group.

Volatility

A key element of moral panic referring to the way panic erupts suddenly and subsides almost as quickly.

Trial by Media

A criminal justice issue occurring when intense media coverage causes suspects to be judged by the public before formal court processes are completed.

Right to a Fair Trial

A fundamental legal guarantee consisting of an impartial judge and jury, right to legal representation, presumption of innocence, and the right to present and challenge evidence.

Mods and Rockers

The two youth subculture groups examined in Stanley Cohen's 1972 study that formed the empirical basis for developing the concept of moral panic.

Newsworthiness vs. Prevalence

The contrast between media selection (which disproportionately highlights violent offences like homicide, with $435$ recorded Australian victims in 2025) and actual prevalence (where everyday property crime like other theft, with $581,209$ victims, is far more common).

Offender Gender Disparity (ABS 2024–25)

Australian official data on offenders proceeded against by police, showing that detected offenders are $74\%$ male and $26\%$ female.

Stranger vs. Known Victimisation Risk

The statistical pattern in physical assault data showing that female victims are most likely assaulted by a family/intimate partner ($43.5\%$), whereas male victims are most likely assaulted by a stranger ($56.2\%$).