In 2004 in Australia, controversy over the alleged involvement of elite footballers in incidents of sexual assault highlighted a tendency to denigrate the victims and excuse the perpetrators. To investigate whether rape myths were prevalent enough to explain this public response, 102 university students were surveyed for their beliefs and determinations of blame in rape situations. Although there was a gender difference in the rates of rape myth acceptance, with males more likely to accept these beliefs, these were not evident in decisions about victim blame or perpetrator blame. However, males and high rape myth acceptors were significantly more likely to minimize the seriousness of the rape situation. These effects increased with familiarity depicted in the situation.

Moral panics are a major technique used by government in the politics of fear. The central research question addressed was 'can moral panic be neutralized?' Researchers formed a coalition with folk devils (an outlaw motorcycle club) in an emerging moral panic to answer the research question. The contest for public support was played out in the media. Results of the action research process are reported using 'thick narrative' and included: (1) government calling off its moral panic campaign, (2) a large decrease in public support for the government's campaign against outlaw motorcycle clubs (OMCs), (3) increased acceptance of OMCs in public opinion polls and (4) dramatic reversals in newspaper editorials. The case study illustrates actors in moral panics have agency and provides an example of a macro-level intervention through which liberation from oppression was affected.

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