Different Forms of Social Control
Jesse Stilwagen
Everest College Phoenix Online
Abstract
This paper will discuss the different forms of social control that exist in preventing criminal activity. It will also share what other things control my own behavior, aside from the threat of legal punishment.
Cesare Beccaria argued that the threat of punishment controls crime. Do other forms of social control exist? Aside from the threat of legal punishment, what else controls your behavior?
There are other forms of social control, one of which is parenting. Parents have the ability to teach their children right from wrong and what is good and what is bad. Parents control how their children are raised and the kind of content they are exposed to. But even though we as parents do everything we can to make sure our kids grow up to be good citizens, there are other factors that may lead our children to do wrong. As children grow older, they develop their own mind and make decisions on their own based on what they think is right. They also develop friendships which can at times cause peer pressure. Although this is a good example of social control, it’s not completely fool proof. We can only hope that what we teach our children will help them to make good choices for themselves when they get older.
Other forms of social control can exist within the schools and church. Children must abide by the rules when in school, as well as in church. With school, children have to behave and listen to their teachers so they will learn. If they misbehave, discipline is enforced to make sure that children don’t misbehave again. The same goes for church. People attend church to do right by God, so therefore choose the path of doing good.
Aside
