Moral panic

Moral panic is when a category or group of people is seen as a threat to the moral values of society. The people who are seen as a threat show certain patterns of behaviour which are seen as problematic. The goal of the moral panic is to stop these problematic behaviours. In modern times, a sensationalist reporting of the press, and privately organized actions often accompany moral panics. 
In the end, a moral panic will lead to an increase in social control; the chances that values change in a normal way will decrease. 
Moral panic is different from mass hysteria. With mass hysteria, there is no social control.