When legislators consider changes to criminal justice policy, they often face the question of whether the changes will prevent people from committing crimes. Criminologists have relentlessly tested deterrence theory using scientific methods to assist in informing and educating policy makers, as well as to unravel the mystery of crime reduction. Deterrence theory suggests that to be effective, an enforcement program must create certainty of detection. Elevated to prominence after world war ii and the arrival of nuclear weapons, deterrence became the central recourse for sustaining international and internal security and stability among and within states in an era of serious conflict. Deterrence, on the individual level, may have a similar effect to rehabilitation criminals stop committing crimes, but the motive is different. Aug 12, 2017 specific deterrence is a type of deterrence that is aimed at the specific individual being charged with a crime. Concept of deterrence and deterrence theory oxford research. The central concepts and propositions in eachfear of legal punishment in deterrence theory and the rewardcost balance or expected utility function in ra tional choice theoryare subsumable under the more general dif.
In the context of sentencing for criminal offences. General deterrence definition, examples, cases, processes. Just deserts and deterrence theories of punishment youtube. Deterrence persuade opponent not to initiate action passive, inde. Specific deterrence refers to convincing this accused not to reoffend. Academic studies since then have looked at the relationship between the severity of punishment, the certainty that a criminal will be punished, and the. This publication discusses criminal deterrence, which is one theory legislators can use to assess possible changes in criminal justice policy. The targets for general deterrence are not the general population of motorists. Rehabilitation means an individual no longer wants to commit the crimes in question. General deterrence is designed to prevent crime in the general population. Both specific and general deterrence, how ever, are grounded in individuals perceptions regarding severity, certainty, and celerity of punishment. First, perfect deterrence theory zagare and kilgour 2000 is supported by a formal logic with explicit theoretical expectations that facilitates empirical testing.
Deterrence theorists say that the certainty of punishment is the most important factor. That idea continues to form the basis for contemporary deterrence theory, and that theory is subsumable under the more general social learning and rational choice theories. In general, economic theories of deterrence have focused more. While deterrence is critical to the success of many programs, it can only work when companies perceive a risk of enforcement. It is one of five objectives that punishment is thought to achieve. Thus, the state s punishment of offenders serves as an example for others in the general population who have not yet participated in criminal events. It is often little needed by the time of sentencing. Since becker 1968, deterrence theorists typically have distinguished between two types of deterrence. Doctor of philosophy business computer information system, may 2009, 175 pp. Deterrence theory posits that the actual practices of the criminal justice system, or what is known as the objective properties of punishment, affect wouldbe offenders decisions by way of. Distinguished from specific deterrence where the sentence is adjusted with a view to deter the specific offender before the court see also deterrence, denunciation and specific deterrence in r. General deterrence refers to the crime prevention effects of the threat of punishment.
Academic studies since then have looked at the relationship between the severity of punishment, the certainty that a criminal will be punished, and the speed with which the punishment will be inflicted. General deterrence can be in effect at the global level or at a regional level. Thus, deterrence theory builds its argument on the fundamental assumption that by prosecution and. Deterrence theorys central hypotheses are that crime can be prevented when punishment is certain, severe, and quick. Deterrence in criminal justice evaluating certainty versus severity of punishment 5 theft, drunk driving, and tax evasion increases, individuals report they would be less. Capital punishment implies death penalty whichis a form of the deterrence theory. Worley discusses both just deserts and deterrence correctional philosophies. Nonetheless, no formalized theory of general deterrence is universally accepted as complete and definitive. Immediate deterrence is required when an actor starts to contemplate or prepare for military action, thereby unleashing a crisis or emergency and causing general deterrence to break down. General deterrence is a type of deterrence that is used to discourage the public at large from committing the same crime, or a similar one, to that which was committed by the person being sentenced. Punishmentretribution, rehabilitation, and deterrence. Deterrence theory suggests that to be effective, an enforcement program must create certainty of detection, severity of penalty, and celerity promptness of enforcement action. Deterrence in relation to criminal offending is the idea or theory that the threat of punishment will deter people from committing crime and reduce the probability andor level of offending in society. General deterrence is proactive and attempts to target potential crimes before they are.
The former depends largely on the admonitory effect of tort law. The general philosophy behind deterrence theory either explicitly or implicitly forms the foundation of criminal justice systems in much of the world, especially. Concise description of theory schuessler 2009 1 wrote that general deterrence theory gdt posits that individuals can be dissuaded from committing antisocial acts through the use of countermeasures, which include strong disincentives and sanctions relative to the act p. For example, if too many people are driving drunk, sente. It is generally accepted that traffic law enforcement influences driving behaviour through two processes. In this section, we briefly characterize the way economists have formalized these concepts.
People are afraid of breaking the law because they fear the consequences they will suffer as a result. Theory and research on general deterrence the concept of general deterrence has commonly been used in theorizing about the efficacy of legal sanctions as a form of crime control. The theory of deterrence can be classified into two categories, general and specific. General deterrence can be defined as the impact of the. Thus, the states punishment of offenders serves as an example for others in the. Is security and employee behavior straub 1990 security investment and computer abuse darcy et al 2009 computer misuse intention. Immediate deterrence represents more shortterm, urgent.
Sanction certainty sanction severity sanction celerity gibbs 1975 gdt in is. The central concepts and propositions in eachfear of legal punishment in deterrence theory and the rewardcost balance or expected utility function in rational choice theoryare subsumable under the more general dif. General deterrence theory general deterrence theory is rooted in the idea that the public can be discouraged from committing crimes by preying on their fears. A distinction is necessary between specific and general deterrence. General deterrence is the intention to deter the general public from committing crime by punishing those who do offend. See also deterrence, denunciation and specific deterrence. An examination of deterrence theory united states courts. The wide application of deterrence theory in practice and policy, however, is alarming for some since most research on deterrence theory concludes that.
Deterrence is the theory that criminal penalties do not just punish violators, but also. Deterrence by punishment, on the other hand, threatens severe penalties, such as nuclear escalation or severe economic sanctions, if an attack occurs. This article begins with a discussion of key concepts of deterrence. Whether explicitly or implicitly, deterrencecentric philosophy serves as the foundation for many criminal justice systems. These penalties are connected to the local fight and the wider world. The risk of arrest and punishment for violating the law deters individuals from violating that law in the future. General deterrence theory gdt poses that an individuals behavior can be altered through the use of a perceived punishment2. Elevated to prominence after world war ii and the arrival of nuclear weapons, deterrence became the central recourse for sustaining international and internal security and stability among and within states in an era of serious. Overall, however, it is difficult to prove the effectiveness of deterrence since only those offenders not deterred come to the notice of law enforcement. This publication focuses on the theory of general deterrence by explaining the.
General deterrence is predicated on the idea of vicarious learning. Deterrence broadly defined is the ability of a legal system to discourage or prevent certain conduct through threats of punishment or other expression of disapproval akhavan 1999, 741. This research sought to shed light on information systems security iss by. Deterrence theory proponents of deterrence believe that people choose to obey or violate the law after calculating the gains and consequences of their actions. Deterrence in criminal justice evaluating certainty versus severity of punishment 5 theft, drunk driving, and tax evasion increases, individuals report they would be less likely to offend. Ball the author is a ford fellow and research assistant in sociology in vanderbilt university at nashville, tennessee. The deterrence theory serves as an example to the general public of the consequences of committing crime by creation of fear. The criminal justice system can reduce crime by apprehending and punishing offenders based on two mechanisms. This doctrine gained increased prominence as a military strategy during the cold war with regard to the use of nuclear weapons and is related to, but. In contrast, individual deterrence means a criminal is simply afraid to commit the crimes again. In its modern, economic sense, deterrence aims at reducing the number of accidents by imposing a heavy financial cost on unsafe conduct. Section ii turns to empirical research on general deterrence. General deterrence addresses the idea that punishing people who commit crimes will deter people in general from committing those crimes. Deterrence is an old practice, readily defined and described, widely employed but unevenly effective and of questionable reliability.
What is the difference between specific deterrence and. As with nuclear deterrence, the aim of modern deterrence is to dissuade an adversary from taking aggressive action by persuading that actor that the costs would outweigh the potential gains. The widescope deterrence theory of punishment article pdf available in criminal justice ethics 361. The concept of specific deterrence proposes that individuals who commit crimes and are caught and punished will be deterred from future criminal activ ity. Both types of deterrence have application for cybercrime. Certainty swiftness severity when we discipline our children, we dont say because youve misbehaved, you have a 5050 chance nine months from now of being grounded. Concept of deterrence and deterrence theory oxford. Complex deterrence theory and the postcold war security. Deterrence theory as a theory of punishment law times journal. Capability, credibility, and extended general deterrence. Researchers have also compared the relative importance of both certainty and severity as dimensions of punishment. The article concludes with some general remarks, a cautionary message about the limits of deterrence as a crimecontrol policy, and recommendations concerning future deterrence based inquiry.
Specific deterrence concerns the aftermath of the failure of general deterrencethe effect on reoffending, if any, that results from the experience of actually being punished. Deterrence theory suggests that extended general deterrent threats are likely to be more effective when a potential challenger views them as capable and credible. On the other hand, general deterrence suggests that the general population will be deterred from offending when they are aware. Complex deterrence theory and the postcold war security environment to physically thwart a specific aggressive behavior, and on that basis, urging the other party to calculate its ability to achieve its goals, thus making it renounce an attack.
General and specific deterrence there are two basic types of deterrence general and specific. Jun 22, 2017 general deterrence theory general deterrence theory is rooted in the idea that the public can be discouraged from committing crimes by preying on their fears. General deterrence implies deterrence in context of the general public, who have not yet indulged in criminal activities. Assessing information systems security effectiveness in large versus small businesses. Innes, the court of appeal of alberta used these words at 10. The law enforcement approach to terrorism derives from the same deterrence theory that forms the basis of criminal law in general. Because some groups of companies do not perceive that risk and are. In this essay, i consider the theoretical and evidentiary basis for general. General deterrence is the ongoing, persistent effort to prevent unwanted. The strategic use of force brute force strategic coercion latent use of force examples. Criminal justice proposes two broad types of deterrence.
Neither deterrence nor rational choice theory is a general or complete model of criminal behavior. A sentencing objective which promotes the reduction of crime by the threat or example of punishment to the population at large. It considers the deterrent effect of the penultimate and ultimate legally prescribed sanctions, imprisonment, and execution. Contemporary deterrence theorists have recognized several important complexities, including distinctions between specific and general deterrence, absolute and restrictive. This essay first examines the theory, including the main tenets, the inher. Rational choice theory rational choice theory grew out of same utilitarian philosophy as deterrence. Deterrence by denial should not be equated with military balances alone. An essential ingredient of deterrence theory is a co.
When an offender is punished by, for example, being sent to prison, a clear message is sent to the rest of society that behaviour of this sort will result in an unpleasant response from the criminal justice system. General principles of criminal deterrence theory a. Deterrence in criminal justice the sentencing project. General versus immediate finally, the theoretical literature distinguishes between two overlapping time periods in which deterrence policies can be employed. Direct deterrence, also known as central deterrence, involves a.
Deterrence theory as a theory of punishment law times. General deterrence can be defined as the impact of the threat of legal punishment on the public at large. The wide application of deterrence theory in practice and policy, however, is alarming for some since most research on deterrence theory concludes that the three general principles of deterrence. This is the most sophisticated and ambitious book to be written on the elusive topic of general deterrence that i am aware of. Request pdf deterrence theory deterrence theorys central hypotheses are. Analysis of deterrence and risk available on the ltsa web site as a pdf file,232 pages. Specific deterrence means, the penalty for crime is severe, swift, and certain enough to deter that person from committing said crime. Deterrence theory an overview sciencedirect topics.
Quackenbush masterfully integrates formal theory with quantitative empirical tests in a probing and rigorous analysis that generates many insights into the onset of military confrontations, the reliability of alliances, and the durability of conflict. When death penalty is awarded to an individual, it sets an example bycreating fear in the society and stops the individual from committing any prospective crime. Its whole aim should be to scare people straightthose who have engaged in crime specific deterrence and those who are thinking about committing crime general deterrence. General deterrence refers to inducing others tempted to commit this offence not to do. Deterrence theory is the idea that an inferior force, by virtue of the destructive power of the forces weapons, could deter a more powerful adversary, provided that this force could be protected against destruction by a surprise attack. However, rational choice theory was developed by economists, and brought to criminology in the 1970s e. Specific deterrence definition, examples, cases, processes.
Background criminal deterrence has been divided broadly into two catego ries, prevention and deterrence. Section iv evaluates the strength of the evidence for perceptual deterrence, and the interplay of sanctions, perceptions, and behavior among individuals. G the pre ventive dimension of criminal deterrence has been defined as follows. Rational choice, deterrence, and social learning theory in. Thus, deterrence theory builds its argument on the fundamental assumption that.
Deterrence theory was first described in the late 1700s, but received new attention in the 1960s. The body of literature associated with modern deterrence theory is large, and the methodological and policy debates it contains are frequently arcane. The works listed here attempt to impose order on the field and critically assess its development in light of technological innovations in weaponry over time. Thus, the population of defense pacts allows us an opportunity to judge the efficacy of extended. He lays bare some evidence of loose thinking in criminology. When states sign formal defense pacts, they are making explicit extended general deterrent threats. General deterrence is the ongoing, persistent effort to prevent unwanted actions over the long term and in noncrisis situations. Modern deterrence is the application of deterrence theory to nonnuclear and postnuclear challenges, including hybrid warfare.
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