Deterrence theory
What is the most important element of deterrence?
Research underscores the more significant role that certainty plays in deterrence than severity — it is the certainty of being caught that deters a person from committing crime, not the fear of being punished or the severity of the punishment.
What are the 3 elements of deterrence?
In the criminal deterrence literature, three elements, combined, produce an expected cost of punishment: the probability of arrest, the probability of conviction, and the severity of punishment.
What is the most important element in deterrence and why?
Celerity refers to how quickly an individual is punished after committing a crime. One of the three elements of deterrence. Certainty refers to how likely it is that an individual will be caught and punished for a crime that he or she has committed. Certainty is the most important of the three elements.
What are the types of deterrence?
There are two main types of deterrence: (1) specific deterrence, and (2) general deterrence . Specific deterrence is a type of deterrence that is aimed at the specific individual being charged with a crime.
What is an example of deterrence?
First, by increasing the certainty of punishment, potential offenders may be deterred by the risk of apprehension. For example, if there is an increase in the number of state troopers patrolling highways on a holiday weekend , some drivers may reduce their speed in order to avoid receiving a ticket.
What is the principle of deterrence?
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 and/or level of offending in society . ... An underlying principle of deterrence is that it is utilitarian or forward-looking.
What are the pros and cons of deterrence?
Specific Deterrence: Punishment inflicted on criminals to discourage them from committing future crimes. Pros: Punishments are individualized and revolve around what crime the offender committed . Cons: It is difficult for authorities to punish offenders on extreme cases.
What is retribution punishment?
retribution – punishment should make the criminal pay for what they have done wrong . reparation – punishment should compensate the victim(s) of a crime.
In which cases is deterrence successful?
Deterrence is most likely to be successful when a prospective attacker believes that the probability of success is low and the costs of attack are high . The central problem of deterrence is to credibly communicate threats. Deterrence does not necessarily require military superiority.
How do you achieve deterrence?
Deterrence is the threat of force in order to discourage an opponent from taking an unwelcome action. This can be achieved through the threat of retaliation (deterrence by punishment) or by denying the opponent’s war aims (deterrence by denial).
What are the major assumptions of deterrence theory?
It assumes that people: Know what the penalties for a crime are . Have good control over their actions . Think things through and make choices about their behavior based on logic , not passion.
What is an example of specific deterrence?
Specific deterrence refers to the use of punishment for criminal activity, intended to discourage a specific individual from committing the crime again. ... For example, if the person is wealthy a monetary fine may not deter him from repeating the crime .
How is deterrence used today?
Police deter crime by increasing the perception that criminals will be caught and punished . The police deter crime when they do things that strengthen a criminal’s perception of the certainty of being caught. Strategies that use the police as “sentinels,” such as hot spots policing, are particularly effective.
What are the 4 types of punishment?
It begins by considering the four most common theories of punishment: retribution, deterrence, rehabilitation, and incapacitation .
What is the purpose of specific deterrence?
Specific deterrence results from actual experiences with detection, prosecution, and punishment of offenders . The general assumption underlying police enforcement is that it should primarily aim at general deterrence, which is first and foremost achieved by increasing the subjective risk of apprehension.
