Mugging
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- Mugger redirects here—mugger may also refer to Mugger Crocodile
Mugging is a type of robbery, in which the perpetrator (the mugger) accosts the victim in a public place, such as a street or parking lot, and demands money and/or valuables. The robber will typically threaten to use a weapon such as a gun or knife, but mugging can also involve physically beating the victim. Mugging differs from theft in its use of violence or intimidation.
[edit] Moral panic over muggings
In England between August 1972 and August 1973, a moral panic erupted which was promoted by the media. During the year “newspaper reporting of mugging(s) emerged and became increasingly sensational”<ref>Hale, D. (1998). Popular Culture, Crime and Justice. Wadsworth Publishing Company, California.</ref> The media constructed a profile of the ‘mugger’ giving him characteristics and went so far as to blame him for the decline of the British Empire. The ‘mugger’ was a black male and was the reason for all the prevailing criminal problems, in short, the media made him the Folk devil (Hale 1998:125) as the community grew scared.
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