Which term describes discouraging actions by instilling fear of punishment?

Which term describes discouraging actions by instilling fear of punishment?

• A. Deterrence
• B. Social Control
• C. Rehabilitation
• D. Stigmatization

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is deterrence, which is about discouraging someone from acting by making them fear the punishment that could follow. It rests on the expectation that if rule-breaking leads to unpleasant consequences, people will think twice before doing it. Deterrence works in two ways: general deterrence aims to warn the broader public so that potential offenders stay away from crime, while specific deterrence targets the individual offender to prevent a repeat act. Social control is a broader concept—the whole system of means by which society enforces norms, including laws, police, education, and family influence. Deterrence fits inside this, as a way to reduce wrongdoing by threat or actual punishment, but it’s not the whole idea. Rehabilitation focuses on reforming offenders so they won’t reoffend, rather than on scaring them into compliance. Stigmatization involves labeling and social disapproval, which can deter, but it operates more through social perception and exclusion than through the explicit fear of formal punishment.

The main idea here is deterrence, which is about discouraging someone from acting by making them fear the punishment that could follow. It rests on the expectation that if rule-breaking leads to unpleasant consequences, people will think twice before doing it. Deterrence works in two ways: general deterrence aims to warn the broader public so that potential offenders stay away from crime, while specific deterrence targets the individual offender to prevent a repeat act.

Social control is a broader concept—the whole system of means by which society enforces norms, including laws, police, education, and family influence. Deterrence fits inside this, as a way to reduce wrongdoing by threat or actual punishment, but it’s not the whole idea. Rehabilitation focuses on reforming offenders so they won’t reoffend, rather than on scaring them into compliance. Stigmatization involves labeling and social disapproval, which can deter, but it operates more through social perception and exclusion than through the explicit fear of formal punishment.