Deviance amplification spiral

• According to sociologist Stanley Cohen, the spiral starts with some deviant act
• The deviance is usually criminal, but can also involve lawful acts considered morally repugnant by a large segment of society
• The confirmation of the pattern was first documented by Stanley Cohen in Folk Devils and Moral Panic, a study of the media response to clashes between the Mods and Rockers
• Reported cases of such deviance are often presented as the 'tip of the iceberg', an assertion that is nearly impossible to disprove immediately
• The less sensational aspects of the spiraling story that would help the public keep a rational perspective tend to be ignored by the press
• As a result, minor problems begin to look serious and rare events begin to seem common
• The resulting publicity has the potential to increase the deviant behavior by glamorizing it, or by making it seem common or acceptable
• Public concern typically forces the police and the law enforcement system to focus more resources on dealing with the specific deviancy than it warrants
• Judges and magistrates then come under public pressure to deal out harsher sentences and politicians pass new laws to increase their popularity