Deterrence

Deterrence is when the threat of punishment is used to try and discourage people from committing crimes. People might not commit a crime if they see a cop nearby because they know that they will get arrested and possibly go to jail if they do. Most buildings have signs that say what you're not allowed to do in that area and then at the bottom they say "violators will be prosecuted". This sign lets people know that if they do something bad they will be punished. We learn the idea of deterrence early on in much simpler ways. As a kid if you do something bad you might not get dessert that night or maybe you'll have to stand in the corner. In our society we know that if we do something bad something bad will happen to us. The threat of punishment keeps people from doing bad or illegal things.