This book investigates how media narratives surrounding child sexual abuse influence and are shaped by government policy and public moral panics. Julia O'Connell Davidson, a scholar in sociology and social policy, utilizes a critical framework to examine the intersection of sensationalist reporting and legislative responses. She argues that the construction of the 'victim' and the 'predator' in media discourse often serves to justify state intervention while obscuring broader structural issues. The text provides a rigorous analysis of how these representations dictate the parameters of public debate and policy implementation.

Experts in sociology and criminology recognize this text as a critical contribution to the study of moral panics and state power. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the author's uncompromising approach to deconstructing sensitive public policy debates.