Conclusion: How the Moral Crusade Harms Us All

Abstract

It is likely that the concerns unleashed by the Jimmy Savile affair will intensify the climate of mistrust and encourage moral crusaders to expand their activities. Although the promoters of such crusades are motivated by good intentions, the effect of their activities is to disrupt intergenerational relationships. Suspicion directed towards adults means that they become more distanced from young people. Yet the exercise of adult responsibility is essential for the security of children. Society needs to question zealous moralising in order to restore a more constructive intergenerational dynamic.