'The mouse that dared to roar' : youths and the Camden controversy

In late 2007, a proposal for an Islamic school in Camden, a semi-rural area located in the greater Sydney region, sparked concern among local residents. This paper examines the discourses relating to representations of young people in Camden at that time, as expressed by both young people and adults. It explores the prominent literature on moral panics and includes a brief discussion of the moral panics and controversies surrounding Arab and Muslim youths. It then outlines the events involved in the Camden controversy, and examines the discourses and operations of young people in this controversy.