First, they argue that punishment avoidance encourages further illegal behavior because the absence of punishment can act as a reward or means of reinforcement. Subsequently, we must not simply look at the severity of a given punishment; rather, we must also look at an individual’s perception of whether or not they will get punished. Furthermore, if a person has close associates who have committed similar crimes, their perception of crime and punishment will vary based on the extent to which their associates have avoided punishment for these crimes. Therefore, this more thorough conceptualization of deterrence could help alter common perceptions that severity of punishment is the leading cause of deterrence and provide a multidimensional explanation for crime causation. Moreover, it may influence views of the criminal justice system in general by reducing the emphasis on hard control strategies and instead support crime prevention strategies that address factors other than the severity of punishment for certain crimes, such as decriminalizing particular forms of lawlessness and reducing discrimination in the criminal justice