Deviancy amplification spiral
Young's concept that media coverage of deviance → public fear → enforcement intensification → deviant groups become more cohesive/defiant → more deviant behaviour → more media coverage, creating self-amplifying cycle.
Real World
Young's own study of Notting Hill drug users found that increased police pressure pushed cannabis users into more insular, committed subcultures — drug use became central to their identity precisely because of enforcement, intensifying the very behaviour police sought to reduce.
Exam Focus
Spell out each stage of the spiral explicitly in your answer; vague references to a 'cycle' without named steps will not access top marks.
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