Correlates of Formal and Informal Social Control on Crime Prevention: An Exploratory Study among University Students, Andhra Pradesh, India

Abstract

Societies control crime through a variety of both formal and informal methods, and the balance between these methods varies widely by culture. This exploratory study surveyed a convenience sample of 434 students attending a university in Andhra Pradesh, India, in order to examine their social control views. Although there was strong support for both forms of social control, informal control mechanisms (family, neighbors/neighborhood, and peers) were more likely to be ranked higher in importance than formal control mechanisms (courts, police, and correctional facilities). Ordinary ordinal regression and ordinary least squares regression results indicated that views on shaming and group punishment were related to the views of formal and informal control. Further research is needed to examine the forces that shape the formal and informal crime control views of Indian citizens.