moral panic
Alarmism – Excessive or exaggerated alarm about a real or imagined threat blood libel – False claim that Jews killed Christians to use blood in ceremonies List of common misconceptions
conspiracy theory – Attributing events to secret plots instead of more probable explanation List of conspiracy theories
deviance (sociology) – Action or behavior that violates social norms List of mass hysteria cases
Witch-hunt – Search for witchcraft or subversive activity