Fear and Control: Rethinking Criminal Policy through the Lens of Moral Panic

Abstract

Moral panic illustrates how social fear can be directed and instrumentalized as a foundation for policy legitimation—often at the expense of justice. Policies formulated under such conditions frequently marginalize structural and evidence-based approaches, relying instead on punitive responses to reassert social order. This study employs a qualitative research method using a conceptual approach. Data were collected through library research and analyzed qualitatively, with findings presented in descriptive form. The results indicate that criminal justice policies developed in the context of moral panic exhibit patterns of disproportionate response, in which the state opts for repressive punitive measures driven by social pressure rather than addressing the structural roots of criminality. Preventing the recurrence of such destructive policymaking requires legal reform grounded in empirical data, procedural rationality, public participation, and strengthened accountability and critical literacy—ensuring that criminal justice systems not only maintain order but also uphold justice and human rights within the framework of the rule of law.