Folk devils are depicted with contradictory stereotypes that shape public perception.

Evidence

The process of spurious attribution is not, of course, random. … Thus Jews are intrusive, but also exclusive; Negroes are lazy and inert, but also aggressive and pushing; Mods are dirty and scruffy, but also slickly dressed; they are aggressive and inflated with their own strength and importance, but they are also cowardly. — Cohen, Stanley, Folk devils and moral panics, 261

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Cohen, Stanley, Folk devils and moral panics: the…, 261
• XREF: connects to: Public perception of deviance is driven by media narratives. — Cohen, Stanley, Folk devils and moral panics: the…, 219; Moral panics are characterized by an exaggerated, stylized folk devil perceived as threatening the social order, which attracts public hostility. — The Emotional Psychology of Moral Panics: A Cognitive …; The Witch Trials exemplify how a minority group can be identified as folk devils to generate fear and social control. — 17 Famous Moral Panic Examples (2026) (+5 more)

Broader Connections

• Strangers are perceived by type rather than as individuals #expands (0.80) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 401