The Bogeyman: An Introduction to Phantom Assailants

Throughout history mysterious figures have emerged from the shadows to terrorize communities. Phantom slashers. Mad gassers. Needle-wielding maniacs. Upon further investigation authorities eventually conclude that these bogeymen were figments of imagination. We locate these scares within the literature on social problems, moral panics, perceptual psychology, and collective behavior. These social panics are the byproducts of moral panics and serve similar functions, although they tend to be shorter in duration and more geographically confined.