This book assesses the implications of how children and young people are
represented in print media in Northern Ireland - a post-conflict
transitioning society. Gordon analyses how children and young people's
perceived involvement in anti-social and criminal behaviour is
constructed and amplified in media, as well as in popular and political
discourses. Drawing on deviancy amplification, folk devils and moral
panics, this original study specifically addresses the labelling
perspective and confirms that young people are convenient scapegoats -
where their negative reputation diverts attention from the structural
and institutional issues that are inevitable in a post-conflict society.
Alongside content analysis from six months of print media and a case
study on the representation of youth involvement in 'sectarian' rioting,
this book also analyses interviews with editors, journalists,
politicians, policy makers and a spokesperson for the Police Service of
Northern Ireland. Noting the importance of prioritising the experiences
of children, young people and their advocates, this timely and engaging
research will be of specific interest to scholars and students of
criminal justice, criminology, socio-legal studies, sociology, social
policy, media studies, politics and law, as well as media professionals
and policy makers.