CRIMINOLOGY

KNOWLEDGE BUILDER /

General Deterrence

General deterrence is a crime control policy that relies on instilling the fear of punishment. The goal is to convince a potential criminal that the pains associated with crime outweigh any benefits.

In the mid 1700's Cesare Beccarria wrote essays on crime and punishment. He believed that for punishment to be effective it must be:

  • Certain. Crime rates should decline it the likelihood of arrest, conviction, and sanctioning increases.
  • Swift. If a punishment occurs soon after a crime is committed, this is likely to be a deterrent.
  • Severe. Increasing punishments should decrease crime rates.

Making an example of criminals in the media is one way to convey current attitudes about crime.

Audio Scripts