Why punishments

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Close Preview. Table of Contents Introduction 1. The Origins and Meanings of Punishment 2. The Purposes and effects of Punishment 3. Retribution 4. Deterrence 5. Rehabilitation and Desistance 6. Incapacitation and Risk 7. Restorative Justice 8. The Limits and Perils of Punishment 9. Rethinking Punishment.

About the contributors. Related Titles. Culture, Crime and Punishment. Ronald Kramer. Rob Canton. The Criminology and Criminal Justice Companion. Susan Robinson. Crime and Social Theory. Eamonn Carrabine. Policing the Crisis. Stuart Hall. Follow us. School account restrictions. You are on the United Kingdom site. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors.

Punishment is a term used in operant conditioning psychology to refer to any change that occurs after a behavior that reduces the likelihood that that behavior will occur again in the future. While positive and negative reinforcements are used to increase behaviors, punishment is focused on reducing or eliminating unwanted behaviors.

Punishment is often mistakenly confused with negative reinforcement. The difference: Reinforcement increases the chances that a behavior will occur and punishment decreases the chances that a behavior will occur. Behaviorist B. Skinner , the psychologist who first described operant conditioning, identified two different kinds of aversive stimuli that can be used as punishment:.

While punishment can be effective in some cases, you can probably think of a few examples of when a punishment does not consistently reduce unwanted behavior. Prison is one example. After being sent to jail for a crime, people often continue committing crimes once they are released from prison. Why is it that punishment seems to work in some instances but not in others?

Researchers have found two factors that contribute to how effective punishment is in different situations. First, punishment is more effective if is applied quickly. Prison sentences often occur long after the crime has been committed, which may help explain one reason why sending people to jail does not always lead to a reduction in criminal behavior. Second, punishment achieves greater results when it is consistently applied.

It can be difficult to administer a punishment every single time a behavior occurs. For example, people often continue to drive over the speed limit even after receiving a speeding ticket. Because the behavior is inconsistently punished. Punishment is more likely to lead to a reduction in behavior if it immediately follows the behavior and is consistently applied.

Punishment also has some notable drawbacks. First, any behavior changes that result from punishment are often temporary. Perhaps the greatest drawback is the fact that punishment does not actually offer any information about more appropriate or desired behaviors. Restitution is when the court orders the criminal defendant to pay the victim for any harm and resembles a civil litigation damages award. Restitution can be for physical injuries, loss of property or money, and rarely, emotional distress.

It can also be a fine that covers some of the costs of the criminal prosecution and punishment. Answer the following questions. Check your answers using the answer key at the end of the chapter.

Privacy Policy. Skip to main content. Chapter 1: Introduction to Criminal Law. Search for:. Specific and General Deterrence Deterrence prevents future crime by frightening the defendant or the public. Incapacitation Incapacitation prevents future crime by removing the defendant from society.

Retribution Retribution prevents future crime by removing the desire for personal avengement in the form of assault, battery, and criminal homicide, for example against the defendant. Restitution Restitution prevents future crime by punishing the defendant financially.